Round Robin
by ShivaVixen
Summary: Alternate Universe. Destiny is not something one can passively achieve, it is the result of many, many choices, of many different people, to the point where it is impossible to say where the story began, and if it ever truly ended. Fate may call them together, but their choices are their own.
1. Nimueh, High Priestess I

**While this starts off with one of the main players behind Uther's decision to ban magic, and will include many others, it will be a bromance focusing on The knights of the round table, though admittedly most of the focus goes to Arthur, Merlin, Gwaine and Lancelot, and on how they could have been, if the BBC wasn't so fond of shocking plot-twists and killing off vital characters. (Not that I'm complaining, it was a good show, they just stretched the whole Merlin hiding his magic a bit too long). This is also an Alternate Reality/Universe, because I'm adding a few bits of Arthurian Legend in as well.**

**Warnings! Mentions of blood and dead children. Some Alternate Character interpretations scattered throughout.**

**A round robin was a circular piece of wood with names carved in it, usually made by pirates conspiring to mutiny so that if they were found, the captain couldn't execute the guy at the top of the list for being the ring-leader.**

* * *

**Nimueh**

The sky was a beautiful blue, there were birds singing, and Nimueh wished it was storming to reflect her turmoil as she stared at the bodies of druids, children and babes dead in their mothers' arms, because of Uther's Purge.

Nimueh had loved Uther. He'd come to her and Balinor for help in stopping the civil war, and they had aided him, Nimueh herself had blessed his reign when they finally emerged the victors.

She liked Balinor fine, but the man was always talking about dragons, and the concern that the civil war had killed too many dragon lords on the opposing side. Gaius, for all his simple tricks, was an adept healer, and loyal to Uther having saved their lives many times. Sir Gorlois, without magic, had been a formidable foe on the battlefield.

Ygraine, on the other hand, Nimueh had always been torn about. She was a kind woman, always interested in learning as much as she could of the Old religion, made Nimueh think of her as a little sister; Ygraine had mediated much of their discussions, when their pride sought to tear them apart, she had been invaluable, but Nimueh wished … well, it didn't matter now, Uther had chosen her, and Nimueh had blessed the marriage.

Perhaps she should have cursed it. Things might have turned out better.

But no, she would not have done it, not with Ygraine looking so happy. Nor would she have refused her and Uther's request to use the Old Ways to bring a child to their union, having heard the same rumblings of unrest as time went on and there was no heir to the throne.

She had warned them that there would be a price, for the magic to work, someone would die when the child was born, but she, like them, had just assumed it would be someone else. She would have never knowingly caused Ygraine's death.

She remembered Ygraine's joy when she visited court after doing the ritual. Suffering from the odd morning sickness that afflicted pregnant women had not dimmed the blonde's joy, and she had thanked Nimueh so much for her use of magic.

Now that she knew the cost, Nimueh felt tears burn her eyes at the memory, wishing it had been Uther who had died for the sake of his heir, not Ygraine. The spell, like so many others that she had learned but never had used before, had required someone who had most loved the life coming into the world to die.

And who would love the life they were bringing into the world more than a mother?

Nimueh could never have children, not as High Priestess, it was barred to her, along with the physical pleasures of sharing a bed, by the vows she had taken.

Ygraine's joy had been infectious, she remembered, lost in memories even as she knelt next to the body of a child. And she had been willing to spread that love and joy to Nimueh, making her current situation all the more bitter.

"_This child is yours as well." Ygraine had placed Nimueh's hand on her rounded stomach. "Your magic helped me conceive him, though you cannot bear your own, you should be here to see him grow."_

"_I," A small hit, as if something tiny had kicked her hand, made Nimueh words vanish._

"_Did you feel it?" Ygraine asked, giddy like a child herself, and Nimueh laughed in delight as the child kicked again, making its presence known._

She'd kept that joy even as she fell ill, a sign Nimueh should have noticed. Gaius should have noticed, even Balinor should have noticed, and realized that the birth of the child they were all looking forward to would be the death of the woman that they all cared for.

"_It happens, sire, her body is focusing on the child's health more than her own. Many a woman has fallen ill while child bearing, and many recover." Gaius had assured them._

Nimueh closed the child's eyes.

"_Nimueh, can you promise me something?" Ygraine looked up from her spot on the bed, where she had been confined to keep her strength up. Nimueh looked up from where she was blessing the room to keep its occupants safe from illness and to speed recovery._

"_Yes, my Queen."_

"_Promise me you'll protect and love our child as best you can?"_

"_Still believe my ritual makes him part mine?" Nimueh quipped, only to have Ygraine grab her hand, looking at her with almost desperation._

"_Please?"_

"… _I swear on my magic, I will love and protect your son, Ygraine." Nimueh had taken both of her hands in one, and placed the other on her swollen stomach. "So mote it be." The babe had kicked as if affirming it had heard the vow._

"_Thank you."_

Ygraine had died, and Nimueh had only then realized that the spell for the child had taken his mother's life in payment. Uther had mourned, had not touched his son, left him in the care of a wet nurse and Gaius, and Nimueh and Balinor had not been able to reach him in his seclusion.

She had not been there when he'd emerged, over a fortnight later, and declared magic banned from Camelot. She had not wanted to believe it, even when rumors came he had started by tricking Balinor and the Great Dragon into a prison, killing the other dragon lords and dragons with the aid of sorcerers before turning on them.

Then she had gone, and he'd tried to kill her, blaming her for Ygraine's death. She and Balinor had barely escaped with their lives, and Gaius and Gorlois had sided with Uther despite the man's obvious madness.

"He's awfully thorough." A voice noted, heavy with guilt and grief. "It made him a wonderful strategist."

"Get rid of the strongest threats first, the dragons and dragon lords, then the strongest sorcerers, and now the druids." Nimueh agreed, her own voice weighted with the same weight. "We were fools, thinking there could ever be peace."

Balinor knelt beside her. "Kilgharrah, he said that Arthur was the Once and Future King, his birth means Emrys will be born soon."

"The Disir have made the same prophecy. They said they will bring magic back and unite all of Albion." Nimueh had told Ygraine, just before she died. "Do we dare believe it? Uther was prophesized to bring peace to Camelot, look at what he's done."

"It never said how long the peace would last, just that his children would be far greater than him." Balinor reminded her, studying her.

"I hate him, for what he's done." Nimueh whispered. "And yet my heart still cries out for him, for Gorlois, for Gaius, for Ygraine and all we once shared together. And the pain they cause me hurts."

"As does mine, as does Gorlois and Gaius, they let us escape." Balinor assured her.

"Why are you here?" Nimueh asked, and Balinor closed his eyes.

"Gorlois is dead, as is Vivienne, Uther has taken their daughter in to be his ward."

"… He didn't. Gorlois was his most loyal friend!" Nimueh felt sick, what sort of man had she pledged her loyalty to?

"Vivienne practiced the old ways, Gorlois refused to kill her. Uther claimed he was enchanted, and there was no choice but to kill them both to save their daughter."

"Goddess …" Nimueh murmured. "And this is the man who will raise the Once and Future King?" How could anything flourish with such a tainted well?

Balinor said nothing more, leaving her to ride away. They could never stay in one place for long, and though it was the work of a moment for her to bury the bodies, it was still more time than was safe after she'd been lost in her thoughts for so long.

An idea formed, a desperate and wild idea, as she rode from the mass grave.

_Fear not, Ygraine, I will not let our son suffer for that man's mistakes._

* * *

**... In my head canon, Nimueh, Ygraine, Uther, Balinor, Gorlois, and Gaius were the 'round table' of Uther's time as he ended the civil war with their aid. They would have done anything for each other.**

**Nimueh will eventually get another chapter, next up, well, we skip ahead a bit. These aren't going to be in perfect chronological order, I'm afraid.**


	2. Sir Kay

**Edit 4/9/15: Sorry, I thought was going to be unable to post for a couple days, so I sent this and Chapter 1 to my beta MC, asking her to post it for me … except I meant for her to post only Nimueh's Chapter and then review this one, cause it was an outline … Oh well, here's the better version of Sir Kay, one of my favorite knights.**

_MC: Yah, sorry about that, everyone, please enjoy the real Sir Kay chapter. (I was wondering why she couldn't pick what to call Sir Kay, when she was sticking with just one name for everyone else … completely missed she wanted my input on whether or not to do the welsh spelling 'Cai' and have 'Kay' be Arthur's nickname in retaliation for 'Wart'. Miscommunication is fun, though, right?)_

**Ignore her. As for why I'm even including Sir Kay, *Shrugs* I was disappointed the BBC didn't mess with this plotline, but oh well.**

**Sir Kay**

At age 10, Kay knew full well what he was going to do with his life. He'd be a knight like his father Sir Ector, and have adventures and never get married because all girls did was get captured and need to be rescued (plus, girls were just weird, his nursemaid's daughter kept calling the hunting dogs cute being a prime example).

So it was a bit odd when, one day, a strange woman strode into his home carrying a child and demanding an audience with his father in the middle of dinner. His father had taken one look at the woman and agreed, ordering the servants and Kay himself out.

They were in conference for ages, Kay felt, and when the woman exited, she looked oddly exhausted. When Kay entered, he noticed that the woman had left her child with his father, along with a chest.

His father, who was looking at the small sleeping child in his arms with the same expression as the woman who'd left, didn't look at him as Kay tried to open the mystery chest, it didn't have a lock on it, only to find he couldn't. Giving up, he turned to his father who had sighed.

"Father, what's going on?" Kay looked at the sleeping child, and frowned. "Why didn't his mother take him?"

"Kay … you're old enough now that I can't hide certain things from you." His father sighed again. "This child is named Arthur; that woman wasn't his mother, she was looking for a safe place for him to live. I agreed to take him as my own, without telling anyone how I found him. You must promise to do the same, and look after him as if he was your younger brother."

Kay's father looked suddenly very old to his young eyes, and though Kay didn't know the source of it, he understood that the child was something that needed protecting. Many stories he'd been told were based on brothers looking out for each other, after all, and having a little brother didn't sound too bad.

"I promise, Father." Kay vowed.

Little brothers, Kay soon discovered, were frustrating things. For one, the little Wart followed him everywhere the instant he could walk more than a few steps. Kay didn't know why, but the little one kept latching onto him when he was around, but he wasn't able to do any of the things Kay had to do, and was therefore less interesting.

"Stop following me!" Kay huffed, but the little wart ignored him, so he started walking faster. The little wart also picked up speed. Kay's Nursemaid noticed, and laughed. "It's not funny!"

"Oh, Kay, he's trying to copy you! Here," She gave him a wooden sword, an old one that he stubbornly kept because it had been his first. "Practice your swings, but keep an eye on your brother."

Kay did so, at first, nothing happened, the wart just stared at him, and Kay almost tossed the sword and complained. Almost, because the wart picked up a ragdoll and started copying the swings. "Why's he doing that and following me around?" Kay asked instead.

"You're his big brother, Kay, just like you want to be like your father, little Arthur wants to be like you. As a big brother, you have to watch out for your siblings, help and protect them … it's very similar to being a knight."

"But …" Kay wanted to be a knight and rescue people and have ballads sung about his heroism, likening that ideal to dealing with the wart following him around didn't seem right. "Little brothers are too much work.

That's not to say it wasn't fun to have a little brother, as the older they got, the more Wart could do and Kay enjoyed the times when his brother looked at him in adoration as he told stories about knights and quests and taught Wart how to clean and wield a sword.

"And then what happened?" Wart would ask Kay, eyes shining bright.

"The Brave Knight cut the chains off the princess Andromeda, and took her and the head to her father. The kingdom celebrated for days!" Kay proclaimed, holding up the rag animal he'd been using for the monster.

"Tell me another!"

"It's time for young knights to be in bed." Their father interrupted, ignoring both of pairs of pleading eyes. "You'll have to be well rested for tomorrow's lessons."

* * *

It was after Arthur had lived with them for a while, and Kay was falling asleep trying to read the book on strategy his father would ask him about tomorrow, that Kay felt a small hand on his wrist and heard a muffled sob. Kay blinked, and looked at Arthur, utterly confused as to why his little brother was crying and had come to him.

"What do you want, Wart? You're supposed to be in bed." Kay frowned at him, not in the best of moods as he pulled away from Arthur's hands. He was still stuck on the same paragraph.

"There was fire and screams and I couldn't find you." Arthur whimpered, not reaching after him. "I'm sorry …" The tears weren't stopping, and Kay suddenly felt bad. Arthur didn't cry a whole lot, and when he did, it was usually for something very wrong, like the fever that had nearly killed him a few months ago (and had killed their nursemaid), or when Kay wasn't watching him properly and Arthur fell out of a tree and broke his arm.

"Fine, come here." Kay grumbled, but not with any true reluctance. He picked up his brother, well, more accurately, slung the brat over his shoulder, deposited (dropped) him on the bed, and pushed him so that Arthur was against the wall. "Anyone that wants to attack you with fire will have to get through me first, Wart. So stop crying and go to sleep."

"Wasn't me being attacked, I was supposed to watch." Arthur muttered, oddly certain even as he drifted off to sleep. Kay, 14 and had never seen someone die, felt suddenly ill. It wasn't often that he thought about how Arthur had come to be his little brother, but he hadn't forgotten that Arthur had come to them in order to be safe. The idea that, maybe, his little brother had seen someone die by fire, maybe even his own family, and could only remember it in dreams that had him waking in distress … it didn't sit right with him, and Kay wrapped an arm around his brother, unsure just who that was meant to comfort.

Kay knew of the purges in Camelot, they weren't far from that kingdom, just on the other side of the border in Mercia, and he knew one of the many ways magic users were being put to death was by burning, either at stakes or on pyres. Arthur's need for protection suddenly made sense, if he was the only survivor of a family that had used magic and had been put to death for it in Camelot, it also explained why Arthur was so uneasy whenever someone so much as mentioned magic around him. Kay shuddered, feeling an odd sense of protectiveness for his little brother, and remembered the mystery chest that his father had hidden away, and the feeling he needed to protect his little brother from the mystery grew along with it.

"I swear, I'll protect you." Kay promised, and resolved to tell Wart his suspicions when the boy was a little older … maybe around 9?

When he finally did, the brat did not take it well.

"Get back here, Wart!"

"That's not my name!"

No one bothered to interfere as Kay chased after his younger brother, it was a rather common sight, the two were known to have an argument, one would storm off and eventually, the other would have to chase them down to have it out.

Which worked out great for Kay, on Mercia's side of the border they might be, but there were more than a few with anti-magic sentiments. It was better for them to talk about this without being overheard. Kay tackled his brother, making sure to land on the bottom before rolling to pin the brat to the ground. Not that it stopped the brat from struggling.

"Damn it all, Arthur, listen to me!"

"You cursed!" Arthur looked up at him in shock.

"I'm 16, I'm allowed, now c'mon and listen to me. You knew you were adopted, Father made no secret of that!" Kay started, ignoring Arthur's glare. "This is the only thing that makes sense, your mother and father must've died in the purges. That's why you dream of fire and people screaming."

"Or a dragon attacked us."

"The dragons and dragon lords were the first ones to go, Arthur." Kay reminded him, and Arthur just closed his eyes. "Oh, no, you're always saying you're old enough to handle things, you can't close your eyes and ignore something you don't like."

"You do it!"

"And I always have to open them and deal with the situation which sometimes has gotten worse because I've tried to ignore it." Kay retorted, and Arthur opened his eyes to glare at him. "Arthur, magic's not a bad thing. It's a tool, like a bow or sword, the only thing that's good or bad is the intention of the person that wields it. How many stories have the knights seek help from a good wizard to defeat an evil one?"

"…" Arthur shuddered. "Then why did my parents die, if they weren't evil for using magic?"

"Because King Uther has outlawed _any_ use of magic, even if it's to help someone that's sick, and made it punishable by death. Breaking the law is bad, but it's not because someone's evil for using magic, it's because it's against the law." Kay knew Arthur wasn't completely following, but that was fine, it had taken him a while to grasp the concept of 'double standards' too. "It would be bad if I dropped you in a well, it would be evil if I actually killed you." He explained with a roll of his eyes.

"So, bad's not evil?"

"Bad can lead to evil, but you'd have to do a lot of bad things to get there." Kay assured Arthur. "King Uther is … well, trying to stop people from doing too many bad things and becoming evil, but he's not being fair to those who are trying to do good." That had to be the worst explanation ever, but Arthur seemed to accept it. "Besides, we don't know if that's what happened, I could be wrong, you know."

"You're never wrong." Arthur retorted, and Kay flinched, hiding it by sitting up and letting Arthur up.

"I'm rarely wrong." Kay corrected, "I was wrong about stealing those tarts, wasn't I?"

Sir Ector didn't say a word when they came back covered in leaves and twigs, just looked at them for a moment and turned back to his work. He'd been stuck doing work for longer and longer periods of time, lately, though he did his best to spend time with them.

* * *

It was a couple years later that a succession crisis sent Mercia into civil war, and Sir Ector insisted on the two boys going to Camelot to become knights. Kay disliked the idea, wanting to keep Arthur away from the place that probably killed his family, but at the same time, Camelot did have a reputation for being peaceful with well trained knights, the ban on magic and the purges were its only faults, compared to the other kingdoms where the knights were less impressive and citizens less protected. So, Kay agreed, and at 11 years, Arthur would come with him to be a squire.

Their father would remain with his land and the village to protect it, he had written a letter for Kay to give to King Uther, whom he had once fought beside, before a treaty made his land part of Mercia.

Kay was surprised when their father called them both in, the night before their departure for Camelot, and revealed that the chest had opened, revealing a gold ring with a sleeping dragon.

Kay had the urge to throw it in the deepest well he could find, that ring was a danger to his little brother.

"It's a sigil ring, made for you by your real parents." His father had explained, softly. "It might help you find them."

"I don't want to find them; I'm going to be a knight." Arthur had said, and Kay agreed whole heartedly, because finding them might mean finding out they were dead, but his father insisted Arthur put the ring on a chain around his neck and keep it with him always.

In Camelot, things didn't really change, Kay found them a place to live and Arthur spent most of his time polishing weapons, armor and floors along with caring for the knights' horses and mucking out stables while Kay trained and then became a knight.

More than a few other trainees made the mistake of thinking that Arthur wasn't under Kay's protection, or that Kay didn't care for his brother. They learned quickly that was a mistake.

The one thing Kay couldn't protect his annoying little brother from, was destiny. When Arthur was 14, a horse spooked while King Uther and his ward were inspecting the knights and their mounts. Wart pushed the ward out of the way, receiving a kick in her place. Kay had felt his world shudder to a halt, just like it had when his brother had fallen out of a tree and broken his arm.

Kay didn't remember much following the sight of Arthur's crumpling to the ground, only really coming back to himself when the physician Gaius patted him on the shoulder and reassured him that his brother would wake up and be fine.

"Your Majesty!" Kay glanced up in surprise, but didn't move from his brother's side as King Uther and his Ward entered, the girl looking at Arthur in concern.

"We came to see the status of my Ward's savior." Uther said.

"He's sleeping; the kick did not break anything, though I had to wrap his ribs." Gaius explained, and the two shared an odd look, before Uther turned to Kay.

"The boy, he is your brother?" Uther asked, and Kay nodded. "I was unaware Ector had remarried." He and Gaius shared another odd look.

_Diplomacy must be a knight's first weapon, my son, no matter how distasteful._ His father's voice echoed in his mind, and Kay gripped his little brother's hand. Uther would not care to hear about the magic chest with no lock that could not be opened until Arthur turned 11, or the mystery woman who had left him with them.

"War- I mean, Arthur, is not my brother by blood. My Father took him in as his ward, over a decade ago." Kay admitted. "When we decided to come to Camelot to become knights, my father gave him a ring that was with him, so he could try to find his family, but I haven't been able to identify the sigil." He met Uther's eyes. "I don't care what sort of court gossip you hear about our taking in Arthur, but he is my little brother, I will protect and defend him to the death, no matter who his parents are."

"May I see this ring?" Uther asked, and Kay warily nodded. He was not prepared for Uther to pale so quickly. "Gaius?"

"It's real, your majesty, it is the real ring."

"What is?" The King's Ward asked, looking at Kay and Arthur in confusion.

"This ring was made for my son, Prince Arthur Pendragon."

"Prince?" Kay managed, not liking the sudden glint in Uther's eyes. He was a knight, he obeyed orders, but he and Arthur had never agreed with the way anyone associated with magic was treated and executed for the most minor thing, or the way some nobles treated the commoners, and he did not trust Uther with his little brother's wellbeing. "He's my little brother, my responsibility to look after, I don't care about anything else."

"And for your protection of my son, you have my thanks." Uther stood. "But this information does not leave this room."

"Sire?" Gaius asked.

"If the boy becomes a knight, then, and only then, will I call him my son." Uther declared, and even Morganna's mouth opened slightly in shock. "Whoever took him from me as a child most likely wanted to use him against me. If he becomes a knight, he will be able to defend himself against those that try to use him." Uther stood, and turned to Kay. "He has my thanks for protecting my ward." And then he left. Kay was too shocked to react, before a growl left his throat.

"You'll protect him, right? Until he becomes a knight?" Morganna asked, looking at Arthur in curiosity.

"No, for the rest of his life." Kay corrected, earning a look of surprise before she smiled. She left soon after and Kay settled in next to his brother.

Prince or not, Arthur would always be his little brother.

"Same for me," Arthur murmured and Kay almost fell out of his chair, his little brother looked at him in amusement.

"How long were you awake, Wart?" Kay demanded.

"Long enough, me a Prince?" Arthur snorted. "I'm perfectly fine just being a knight."

"You may not get a choice, Arthur." Gaius sighed, interrupting them. "Now that Uther knows, you will be scrutinized and followed, your every action weighed against Uther's expectations."

Kay tensed at that, every brotherly instinct screaming he needed to take Arthur and run.

"Fine, he can watch, but I'm never going to be like him." Arthur lay back and gripped Kay's hand. "Stay until I fall asleep?"

"You're such a girl, Wart." Kay rolled his eyes, but settled back in his chair. "I'll keep any more big bad horses from attacking."

Arthur's retort was mumbled, and only the fact he was injured stopped Kay from hitting him. Little brothers were so much trouble.

(Arthur did gain a shadow, a knight named Leon, but the man had never tried to bully Arthur, so Kay reserved judgment and kept from attacking him.)

* * *

**Originally, this was going to be from Sir Ector's point of view, but Kay stole the show. He exists for two things, protecting Arthur and keeping him from getting a swelled head. (No worries, Arthur will still be a prat to merlin and those he doesn't know, but that's how he thinks a prince is supposed to be.) Not going to lie, he's always been one of my favorite characters, mostly because he reminds me of a big brother I know who treats his own brother's the same way. **

**The Romans did make it to Britannia/Briton or whatever england was called back then during the time of the Roman Empire- I think Julius Cesar was the one that made it that far, can't remember- so it's possible that greek/roman myths were still remembered/told during Arthur's time.**

**In the original spellings for the Arthurian myths Kay is mentioned, 'Wart' and 'Arthur' are actually similar in spelling, so 'Wart' is a short version of 'Arthur'. Here, it's just Kay being an annoying older brother.**


	3. Merlin I

**Merlin's turn. Sort-of series start, I guess. Bit different. I was thinking of doing Arthur, but changed my mind, he'll have to come later. Also, what little plot there was to this fic has changed on me, so Arthur is a little less of the princely prat than I planned over a week ago. MC has not helped. Again, warnings for chapters being slightly out of order.**

**Also, Chapter lengths are going to vary, depending on how much I can come up with for a character. Some will have multiple chapters, usually to focus on an episode, but none will be direct rewrites of the episodes.**

**Merlin**

Merlin's first time using magic is one he can't recall. He was just over a year old and he'd dropped a wood block from his crib. His mother says she was going to walk to pick it up, when his eyes flashed gold and the block floated off the floor and back into his hands.

No matter how his mother had scolded him and warned him, Merlin could not stop using magic. He could never explain the way he felt to her, how he couldn't stop using magic in the same way he couldn't stop breathing for long.

He did little things, in order to keep from accidentally doing big ones, pictures in fire and smoke, playing with water and cups by making them float in the air.

Will had been a great help, allowing Merlin to find an out for his magic with harmless pranks, until his mother had found out and fully told them the consequences of what would happen to Merlin if a witch-hunter found him. It hadn't stopped them, but it had definitely put a damper on their fun, they couldn't be nearly as obvious as they had been, and finally, his mother decided to send Merlin to Camelot with a letter for her brother, Gaius, and have him take up an apprenticeship with him.

* * *

Camelot was big. Not the most intelligent first impression, but Merlin as made his way through the streets to where his mother said Gaius lived, probably the most accurate.

He could have done without the lovely reminder that magic was a crime, though. He almost turned around and left at that. Almost, except he ended up walking into someone while some old woman yelled at Uther, threatening his ward before vanishing in a flurry of wind.

"Sorry about that." Merlin apologized, and blinked at the young man in an old red shirt and brown tunic. He was blond and looked unfazed by what he had just witnessed.

"No harm done." The man stepped back. "Are you lost?"

"I'm looking for Gaius, he's, my mother thinks I could learn from him." Merlin managed.

"Ah, I know where he is, c'mon." He looked at one of the knights nearby who were ushering people out of way of a cart. "Sir Kay! I'm going to guide this guy to Gaius, I'll be back." The knight looked over and waved.

"Just hurry it up, Wart, you've still got stables to muck."

'Wart' rolled his eyes, and grabbed Merlin to steer him to the side of the courtyard.

"Your name's Wart?" Merlin asked, only to get an annoyed look.

"My name's Arthur, my idiot older brother never gets it right." The young man corrected. "You?"

"Merlin." He answered, and for a moment they didn't speak, before Merlin decided to break the silence. "Does, does that happen often?"

Arthur sighed. He looked tired, Merlin noticed, before suddenly straightening. "No, this is the first one in a while. Still, probably not the welcome you were expecting." He gestured back to the courtyard.

"What was his crime?" Merlin asked, despite himself. He hadn't been sure he'd heard it right.

"Fixing a cart wheel with magic." Arthur sighed again. "The King sees all magic as evil, regardless of what it's used for. You have a different view, you'd best keep it to yourself, or where no one else can hear you."

Merlin nodded, a little bit confused by the bitter tone in the other's voice, but chose not to comment. Arthur led him to the 'Court Physician' chambers, and knocked only once before pushing the door open.

"Gaius, are you in?"

"Ah, Sir Arthur, can I help you?" The old man came down the ladder he was on, a bit unsteady, but Arthur moved to steady him without the man asking.

"Sir Arthur?" Merlin couldn't help himself, the man wasn't dressed as a knight. Why would a knight muck out stalls, anyway? The man didn't answer him.

"Someone looking for you, name's Merlin."

"I see, you're Hunith's son?" Gaius looked over at Merlin with interest.

"Yes, uh, here." Merlin passed him the letter, which Gaius read over quickly.

"Well, looks like I finally have that apprentice you've been poorly hinting I get." Gaius gave Arthur a look that had Merlin fidgeting, even though it wasn't aimed at him. "I know you've got duties to attend to, but if you get a chance, come back for dinner."

Arthur shook his head. "I'd like to, but, I've got dinner with my father."

Merlin watched the exchange with some confusion, which increased as Gaius nodded with a sigh.

"He wants you to follow in his footsteps, as every man dreams for his sons to do." Gaius said, with a tone that implied he'd said it many times before.

"I'd rather spare myself the nightmares." Arthur responded, before looking at Merlin. "See you around, Merlin. Gaius." He nodded at the old man, before disappearing out the door.

"What was that about?" Merlin asked. "He's not dressed like a knight."

Gaius sighed. "His title has, technically, been stripped away, but too many of the knights look at him as a fine leader and strategist, as well as instructor, and so the king has him on a year's probation." Gaius shook his head. "It is his problem to bear, however; come, I wish to hear about you."

Merlin talked to Gaius for quite a while, but a part of his mind was always on Arthur despite himself.

"Why do you serve someone that hates magic?" Merlin finally asked, after reflexively stopping a pitcher from hitting the ground with his own and having Gaius scold him for it.

"Because there were many that misused it before Uther came to power. Though his stance on magic has changed, life in Camelot is far better with him as King than if he had never become one at all." Gaius sighed, and stood. "Well, I think that's just about everything, I'll show you around tomorrow." Gaius promised, and Merlin took up residence in the small room that he had a feeling had once been a supply closet.

Magic was outlawed in Camelot, and he, according to Gaius had the most raw natural ability of anyone the old man had ever seen.

This would either be the best thing that ever happened to him, or the worst, and he had no idea which.

(The last thing on his mind is a question, Why was Arthur on Probation?)

* * *

**By Dark Age/Medieval times standards, Uther is actually a good, generous, and effective ruler. (By our standards, he's a tyrant and a hypocrite, and really does earn all the trouble he gets.) He brings Camelot out of what sounds like a civil war/anarchy, where magic is 'misused' by those who shouldn't be using it, his knights protect his people when they are in danger, and he gets the other kings to play by his rules, not theirs. But he's the king of Camelot, not Albion, uniting the kingdoms is not in his interest, he just has the most impressive credentials which, while including the above, also includes having taken down dragon lords **_**and their dragons**_**, and making sorcerers/witches like Morgause and Nimueh avoid his kingdom to the point they only go when they know they have an advantage and an escape route. I'd rather be in Camelot than, say, Cenred's kingdom.**


	4. Kilgharrah, The Great Dragon

**Ta-dah! I present Kilgharrah, the Great bane of spell check. **

**Kilgharrah**

He knows Balinor is still alive, distant, unable to help without allies, but still alive. Uther has not slaughtered them all in his quest to destroy magic.

(Kilgharrah is not certain that is something to celebrate, it is a torture to know a friend is alive but out of reach, and would certainly be killed if he tried to save him.)

He makes do with visions of the future, so many possibilities, the Once and Future King and Emrys have both been born, and he personally only cares about Emrys, who will be a dragon lord. The Princeling does not interest him, not after Uther's betrayal of their alliance.

But something changes, suddenly, the princeling, the Once and Future King, is gone, and Kilgharrah can only jerk in fear. Because a world without the Once and Future King is not a good one, and he sees Uther unknowingly kill his own son, Emrys dying (Emrys should be immortal, how can he die?) and the Witch destroys Camelot.

It is a terrifying change, one that he does not understand, and though it does not last long, his visions after do not retain the spoiled princeling that matures (most of the time), but a knight, bloodstained and weary, badly in need of some support by Emrys to believe in himself. There are still elements of the spoiled princeling of previous visions, but none that resemble anything other than a vague façade for those that don't know him, or a joke between him and Emrys.

This change intrigues him, and when Uther storms in, demanding his presence (the chains do more than restrain him, they keep him from burning the man until nothing is left, not even ashes) and the fate of his son, Kilgharrah is even more intrigued.

Nimueh's involvement has only ever boded ill for both Emrys and the Once and Future King, Uther does not know that, and he will never tell the man this, but Nimueh herself has apparently decided to meddle even more than just her future hate of Uther would allow her.

He remembers long ago, there was a future where Emrys and the Once and Future King were raised together under the watchful eyes of Ygraine, Balinor and Nimueh, and wonders if this is an echo of yet another possibility.

"The young dragon lives, Pendragon, he will return to Camelot on his own, he will join your knights, and you will only recognize him after he is injured in your service." Kilgarrah ignores Uther's demands for a way to challenge this fate. "He is very much his mother's son."

Uther leaves in anger, and Kilgarrah does not care, he only cares for the sense of magic, a shimmer that he recognizes from much time on the battlefield trying to keep Camelot from tearing itself apart.

"You meddle much, High Priestess, and dangerously so."

The magical image floats where Uther was standing, and Kilgarrah smiles at the High Priestess' practical use of magic, something must've been planted on Uther and fallen when Uther entered the chamber, an old trick they'd used to get messages to prisoners without dragon lords or druids risking themselves. It will not last long, and they will never speak again once the image fades, but for now, they may enjoy getting one over on Uther.

"Ygraine charged me to love and protect our son, I may have no blood claim, but my magic did help him be born. If he is indeed the Once and Future King, I will not have him raised in a place where he will be poisoned against the very thing that gave him a chance at life." Nimueh stands tall, haughty and strong as always.

"You will not raise him, I trust?" Kilgarrah doubts the woman knows how to be a mother, to raise and care for a hatchling.

"… There is a man who owes me a debt, I have taken the child to him." Nimueh closes her eyes. "We did not always see eye to eye, Great One, but I do need to know, how shall I die?"

"… Emrys shall kill you, and in doing so, gain the power over life and death. With it, the life of the Once and Future King is assured." It was the strongest path, the one most likely to occur, but by no means was it certain. Nimueh, however, seemed happy about that. "This pleases you?"

"Yes, it does." And with a mysterious smile, she bowed. "We shall not speak again, Great One, I was honored to fight by your side."

"As was I." The image faded, and Kilgharrah settled into a place to sleep.

* * *

He feels it when the Once and Future King arrives, as certain futures become more clear, but it is Emrys' arrival that has him lurching up despite the chains, he feels the young one like a warm glow, not like his father, who's magic only warmed his skin, but one that sinks in almost to his old bones.

He calls to the boy, feels Balinor's confusion, dim and much like an afterthought, as he tries to reach the young warlock. The boy is not a dragon lord, yet, though he is the son of one, but Emrys is Magic, and is capable of some passive dragon lord abilities through that fact alone.

It is frustrating to wait, and only after their meeting (which could have gone so many ways, Kilgharrah was unsure what to expect) does Kilgharrah remember that magic has not yet returned to the kingdom, and the boy could not immediately come to him when he called. Living in future visions has damaged his sense of the here and now, apparently.

Merlin stands before him, young and unsure, a hatchling not yet sure enough to spread his wings. He does not want to believe in destiny, and Kilgharrah cannot blame him. Destiny allowed Uther to betray those who were his allies.

"The Prince will need you," Kilgharrah says, and is surprised when Merlin responds.

"There is no prince here, just the king and his ward!" Merlin looks ready to leave, and Kilgharrah sighs.

"He is here, trying to hide from his destiny," Kilgharrah does not particularly care for the way Merlin looks at him, but this is Emrys, however young and foolish, and he will be great. "You must help him, and he shall, in turn, help you." It will not be easy, already, there are many ways this will go wrong, but there are just as many ways for them to reach their destiny. "You must find him and help him." Kilgharrah watches Merlin leave, and closes his eyes, watching as the futures unfold. A knife, the Witch rescued, and then an accidental display of magic that has the Princeling promise to help Merlin protect Camelot, neither even fully aware of each other's true potential or their destiny.

It is not the most auspicious of starts, perhaps, but it is a start.

* * *

**Next one should be back with Merlin, but the basic rewrite of ep 1- Morganna gets threatened, Arthur and Merlin save her, Uther approves of Gaius' new apprentice, and the two somehow end up being partnered together so that Arthur can show Merlin Camelot while Merlin helps Arthur with his probationary duties.**

**Still working on how that will write out, MC is no help.**

_MC: I am too, she's just annoyed she's got writer's block on her other stories, and I introduced her to Merlin to, you know, take a breather from those fandoms. Which then got her to come up with this idea. Actually, she came up with a time travel idea, she's been reading a lot of time travel stuff, including some book about a time traveler trying to decided whether or not he can and should stop the JFK assassination (boring! Time Traveler's Wife was way better) but she wanted to catapult season 1 characters into an alternate future and I got confused by whether or not that happened because at one point she mentions Uther … I convinced her to write these bits instead._

_And I get the last word this chapter! Mwa-ha-ha!_


	5. Morganna

**Was supposed to be Merlin again, Morganna stole the show … her and Sir Kay, I swear …**

_MC: Yeah, SV's a bit of a nerd regarding Arthurian legends, She's been fixating on the characters that weren't used to what she thought should have been their full potential. I never should have introduced her to this fandom, although it's entertaining to see her mutter under her breath about Sir Bedivere's death, the utter lack of Sir Kay, the plot-related stupidity of the characters … the list goes on._

**Again, warnings for alternate universe and character interpretations**

**Morganna**

Morganna faintly remembers Arthur as a child, she's a little older than him, so she remembers playing while their fathers spoke.

She remembers helping her own father into his armor, well, her mother was helping him, she was helping her. Morganna doesn't know how they died, she just remembers Uther taking her into his arms and promising her he'd watch out for her because of her father.

She remembers waking up to alarm bells, and a knight slamming into her room, and the maid assigned to her trying to keep her calm while she herself panicked.

"The Prince has been kidnapped!"

She had been terrified as the search went on, no one stopping to tell her what had happened to Arthur.

Morganna dreamt of the blond boy, sometimes they'd be separated by a curtain of fire and horrible screams and she woke up crying and screaming herself; sometimes they'd be playing in a field, but the blond always runs to an older boy with reddish-blond hair.

As time goes by, she grows up, and those dreams fade.

* * *

The day of the inspection, she wasn't expecting the horse to startle, or the boy her age pushing her out of the way.

She definitely wasn't expecting him to be the Prince, or Uther's seeming disregard for him. The son he had torn buildings down searching for, and he would not acknowledge him until he became a knight.

The thing that strikes her most is Sir Kay's hair, the same color, perhaps a little lighter from the sun, as the older boy in her dreams.

Uther will not acknowledge Arthur, but Morganna is within her rights to spend time with her savior, watching him fight and train, telling him what little she knew of the time before and during his disappearance all those years ago.

Morganna likes Arthur, likes the way he talks to everyone, likes the way he gets flustered when she tries to talk him in circles. She starts to teach him what a prince should know, and Arthur doesn't tell anyone that he spars with her, even after Uther has ordered her to focus on pastimes more fitting for a Lady and King's Ward.

"Wait, I have to get married?" Arthur blinked at the list of neighboring royalty, and more importantly, their daughters.

"Currently, no, but you are expected to marry the most advantageous ally." Morganna smirked at the way he grimaced.

"At least they'll be in the same situation as me." Arthur muttered, "What about you?"

"… Uther has promised I can marry whomever I want, with certain restrictions." Morganna admitted, and Arthur pushed the list to the side. "Neither of us will have to worry about that, yet."

Arthur sighed. "What other fun things do I need to know?"

"Well …"

* * *

Morganna has lived in fear of magic ever since magic was responsible for Arthur's abduction, she's loved Uther as a second father, and yet she questions what he does to those accused of sorcery. She can't watch them be burned, and can just barely stomach beheading. She has nightmares where it's her on the pyre, screaming and begging for mercy.

Uther no longer makes it mandatory for her to watch, but sometimes, she can't help herself. She knows the knights occasionally go out and kill druids that have been spotted, but it's never occurred to her what, exactly, that entails. (And it should have, she was not a simple child, she knew rulers could not always show mercy to their foes.)

Arthur always watches with a blank expression, one that never reveals what he's thinking. Morganna tends to watch him, trying to figure out what his stance on magic is, when she notices something else. Sir Kay was always near Arthur, watching him as well, and would always tell him to go do something or to come with him to get a drink, depending on whether or not the other was on duty. If Kay was on duty, Arthur would not speak as he did his chores and Morganna wondered if Arthur also questioned Uther.

Morganna was baffled when Uther did not announce Arthur as his son when he was knighted like he claimed, wishing to see how he handled several missions first, and then see how he handled command. The reports came back rather glowing, many of the senior knights were impressed with Sir Arthur, and his strategies for dealing with bandits and occasional monsters. Morganna hoped that meant Arthur had proven himself.

On the last mission, Sir Kay was not permitted to go with him, and the older knight sent more than one of his fellows to see Gaius during the days they were gone.

"They'll be alright." Morganna offers when Sir Kay finally manages to send himself to Gaius.

"Wart's my little brother, I don't want Uther to ruin him." Was all that Sir Kay would say on the matter, before he changed the subject to discuss Morganna's new maid.

"Her name's Guinevere, she's the daughter of the blacksmith, she's actually been a maid in the castle for a while, usually for visiting ladies who don't have their own." Morganna allows it, because Sir Kay wants the distraction.

Whatever joy Morganna felt seeing them all return with no wounds is stunted the moment she sees Arthur's face, and for the first time, she can tell he's related to Uther. It still somehow scares her the way he moved through the castle, barely noticing her or Sir Kay

They both chase after him, catching up to him only to be dismissed, along with the senior knights who'd been reporting to Uther, so that the King could speak to Arthur alone. The doors are too thick to hear anything through, and Gaius arrives and stops them from opening the door.

"Gaius, what happened?" Morganna demands, Sir Kay just barely keeping a hold of his own temper.

"I'm not sure." Morganna highly doubts that, but allows him to usher her away, Sir Kay remaining like a statue by the door.

She's shocked when she hears that due to disobedience and disregarding orders, Arthur is not to be considered a knight for a year. Sir Kay is not the only knight to show their displeasure at this, though many of the older knights are loyal to Uther and don't care, many have been drawn to Arthur's skill and leadership on the battlefield.

The sentence is lenient, however, as it could have been accompanied by imprisonment, flogging and banishment, but Morganna is still upset by this.

* * *

"You fancy him?" Guinevere ("Please, call me Gwen, my father uses my full name when I'm in trouble.") asks when Morganna's watching of Arthur becomes blatantly obvious. "Sir Arthur, that is?"

"What." Morganna blinked, utterly shocked by the idea. Arthur and Sir Kay were like brothers to her, and though she always favored them in tournaments and tourneys, the concept of, well, what she's heard a few of the more older and vocal scullery maids telling the younger ones about men, with either of them … Morganna can't really picture it, ever. "No!"

"But you flirt with him." Gwen looked at her in confusion.

"I tease him!" Yes, she gets in his face when she does it, yes, she has, on more than one occasion, kissed him on the cheek, and yes, she worries over whether or not he'll come back when sent away from Camelot; but Morganna has never had any intentions on courtship or romance with Arthur. "Gwen, he's like my brother, we played as children together, and he's a good friend." Morganna grimaced. "Oh, now I'm going to be sick. Why did you say that?"

"I'm sorry, but, you've been watching him a lot." Gwen apologized. "He's, he's a good man, I've heard."

"Do _you_ fancy him?" Morganna turned the question back on her, she's never been one for romance stories, but she thinks Gwen and Arthur might actually get on if they met (even if Arthur couldn't marry Gwen, she didn't see why he couldn't court her for a bit, not all courtships ended in marriage, after all). "He's a good man, like you've said."

"I've never spoken to him." Gwen shook her head. "He, uh, came to my Father to get his and his brother's armor mended, a few times. Father liked him, taught him to forge a knife."

"Really? He never mentioned that to me."

The conversation is dropped and never mentioned again, much to Morganna's relief. Gwen is a wonderful maid and friend, unlike the women courtiers that Morganna has to be polite to.

* * *

Being threatened by the mother of yet another sorcerer is sadly something she's used to. Morganna doesn't pay it any mind, neither does anyone else.

Gaius' new apprentice Merlin is rather sweet, ears are a little big and it's clear he's still growing. Gwen likes him, and Sir Kay has apparently christened him 'Ears', much to his annoyance. Arthur just murmurs that he's too nosy, but does not say anything else, probably thinking about the sorcerer's mother's threat to her life.

Morganna does not expect Lady Helen to be the witch, or the dagger that flies at her. She also doesn't expect Merlin to pull her out of the way or Arthur to cut down the witch. She's never considered herself as in need of protecting, but in that split second, she clung tight to Merlin, utterly relieved to be protected.

Uther, however, does not acknowledge Arthur or Merlin beyond being a probationary knight and physician's apprentice, though he does thank them for their defense of her.

Morganna doesn't care about the lack of acknowledgment, though, because Arthur and Merlin have started spending more time together, and while Arthur is friendly and polite to all, he's never taken to anyone as quick as he has to Merlin, especially given his lack of interest in the other previously.

That alone makes her very curious about Merlin.

* * *

**Okay, next Chapter is definitely Merlin again. **


	6. Merlin II

**Last chapter for a bit, I keep writing these things two at a time, but MC's going to be busy for a while, so I'm going to try and work on one of my other stories.**

**Merlin (II)**

Merlin has never had a panic attack before, but he's sure this is what one feels like, heart pounding as he struggles to take a deep breath.

Gaius had yet to return from talking to the King after Merlin and Sir Arthur saved his ward, and Merlin had accidentally knocked over a stack of books on his way to his new room.

Without thinking, he'd used magic, only to realize he wasn't alone in the room when the door slammed. Sir Arthur had just walked in and seen him do magic. _A knight of Camelot_ has just seen him do magic, and every single one of his mother and Gaius' warnings came back to him, only augmented by the memory of the execution he'd witnessed.

"You didn't use a spell." Sir Arthur said, tilting his head. "Since I didn't hear one, I have no proof of sorcery."

Merlin still can't get a deep breath, but it is a little easier now that Sir Arthur is not going to turn him in. Blackmail is still likely, but he can deal with that.

"Gaius is supposed to teach me to control it." Merlin admits, and Sir Arthur rolls his eyes.

"You're an idiot, coming to Camelot with, a, condition, you cannot control." Sir Arthur shakes his head.

"Well, at least I'm not a, a, clotpole!" Merlin manages, before realizing that insulting someone who could turn him in was a bad idea.

"Very witty," Sir Arthur rolls his eyes again, "Well, you're obviously not a danger to Camelot."

"Of course not!" Merlin is offended at the idea, according to the dragon, it's his destiny to protect it and its mysterious, missing prince. Sir Arthur, however, has turned to the door.

"Don't become one." Is the only thing he says, and Merlin is left utterly bewildered by their exchange.

* * *

Sir Arthur goes with him the next day to pick herbs that Gaius wants. Merlin is baffled by this, and after babbling something awful, about the herbs, about the weather, about the discovery of the real Lady Helen, unconscious in the witch's home, he finally gets around to asking why.

"There's a tournament to be held in Camelot." Arthur explains, leaning against a tree (_Prat_, Merlin decides) while Merlin picks the plants. "I can't compete, so there's no reason to stick around and watch the others compete so the King can choose a champion."

"Doesn't the champion from the previous year get picked?" Merlin's not aware of everything involved in a tournament, but he does know that much.

"Normally." Sir Arthur agrees, not looking at him. "But seeing as I have until next spring to prove myself worthy to be a knight, the king won't be looking at me."

"Oh." Merlin mentally kicks himself.

"That's only the second reason I told Gaius I'd come with you today, though." Sir Arthur finally looked at him, and Merlin is suddenly terrified the man's changed his mind about letting him live. "No one's around, I was wondering … if you would tell me about magic?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"… Kay's father, Sir Ector, found me, when I was a child. I used to dream about fire and death, so Kay theorized I was, well, I was from a magic using family, and the rest had been put to death." Sir Arthur sat down at the base of the tree. "Sir Ector's lands are just over the border in Mercia, so the anti-magic sentiment isn't nearly as strong as it is here. Kay taught me to think that magic is like a sword, and the wielder's intentions matter. Breaking the law is, bad, but it is unfair to execute those who have good intentions." Sir Arthur hesitated, "Last night, you said Gaius was to help you learn to control it. Not to use it, you don't need a spell or object to use it, so I was wondering, why?"

"…" Merlin got up and sat next to him, making one of the herbs he'd just picked float above his hand. "I've always had it, I was born with it. My mother was always terrified I'd be found out, but I could never stop using it for long. It's like, my magic is a part of me, as important as breathing is to you." Merlin let the herb drop into Arthur's hand. "I don't want to hurt anyone, Sir Arthur, I just … want to be able to use it to help."

"Arthur." Merlin looked at the older boy in confusion. "My name is Arthur, I'm not a knight, remember?"

"Right."

"… I won't turn you in, Merlin, or tell anyone about you, I swear by my honor as a former knight. Having someone that can use magic to help those who can't protect themselves from it is more strategic in the long run."

"Thanks, I think?" Merlin isn't sure what Arthur means by that, and sincerely hopes that the Knight is truly trustworthy.

Arthur seems to understand Merlin's hesitance, but changes the subject. "Got enough of those plants, or does Gaius need more?"

* * *

They tend to insult each other more than they talk, and Arthur is of the opinion that Merlin needs to learn to fight without magic while Merlin does not see the point of such exercise, but Arthur does keep his word, even covering for Merlin when his magic goes awry.

The Tournament draws closer, and Kay almost discovers Merlin's magic by barging into his room where the two are discussing weapons against magic.

"Well, Wart, Ears, you're never going to guess what happened!"

"The King has announced the Prince?" Merlin offers, while Arthur looks up from the ground after having lunged for a floating pitcher.

"You've decided to shave your scraggly beard?"

"It is not scraggly!" Kay kicked his younger brother, who caught his leg and made him unbalance and fall to the ground. "Hey, Camelot's Champion here!"

"The King picked you?" Merlin is surprised, sort of. Kay's a rather good fighter, and, supposedly, only equal to his younger brother.

"Well of course, don't sound so surprised, Ears."

"Pity he went for brawn over brains." Arthur muttered, only to yelp as Kay got him into a headlock.

Merlin has to avoid the kick from Arthur as the two wrestle on the floor. He's never had a brother, but he's pretty sure Kay's rather typical for an older brother. Arthur manages to escape, and Merlin snickers at the sight of his now messed up hair.

Of course, the fact that Sir Valiant has a magic shield has both Merlin and Arthur concerned, especially as Sir Valiant keeps eyeing both Kay and Arthur. When the time comes for Sir Valiant to face Sir Kay, Arthur decides to stand in as Kay's squire, and Merlin just barely figures out the spell as the match starts.

Merlin's eyes widen after he casts the spell on the shield, and realizes the snakes are going after Arthur who doesn't have a sword, not Kay, who's focused on cutting Valiant down to size for something the other just said. He can't use magic now, it would give himself away, but he can't let Arthur get killed.

"Here!" Morganna yells, and Arthur catches the sword she throws at him, decapitating both snakes. Kay defeats Valiant, but all Merlin can see is Arthur leaning against the wall looking tired.

"You alright?" Merlin asks, making his way over as the crowd cheers for Sir Kay.

"Yeah, you cut it kind of close." Arthur wipes his eyes, and passes the sword back to the guard Morganna took it from.

"Right, well, got a question for you, how good are you with dogs?" Merlin asks, and Arthur must've been taking lessons from Gaius by the way he looked at Merlin. "I'll explain later." He promises as Sir Kay grabs Arthur's right arm, tugging him into the center of the ring and raising it to even more enthusiastic cheers as the crowd recognizes their former champion, Sir Arthur who defeated the magic snakes.

It's much later that they get the chance to deal with the dog statue turned real dog, who (rather annoyingly) turns out to like Arthur.

"So, will it turn back to a statue?" Arthur asks, petting it as it sits obediently next to him.

"I have no idea, the book doesn't say." Merlin buries his face in the book with frustration. "We can't give it to anyone, can we?"

"Well, it'll cause a lot of questions if it does turn back into a statue … especially since the guards have reported it missing."

"Right, first thing that dog did was lunge at me." Merlin looks at the dog that notices and growls at him, going quiet at a sharp word from Arthur.

"Well, you've got a shifty look about you, I'm not surprised."

"Right, and I'm sure the dog's just as much as a prat as you." Merlin mutters, only to get walloped by a pillow.

(The dog, eventually, does turn back into a statue, a destruction-filled month later. Arthur tells Gwen and Morganna they found its owner when the girls question its disappearance. And the statue is put back in place much to the bewilderment of the guards.)

* * *

**Well, here's the start of the two being friends. Arthur doesn't know that Merlin's the most powerful warlock ever, and Merlin has no idea that Arthur is the prince he's supposed to help become king. This is mostly because I thought it was a waste that Arthur didn't find out about Merlin's magic and the two then worked **_**purposefully**_** together to defeat the problems that came up while keeping it quiet from Uther.**

_MC: I had to remove the rest of the page-long rant about this subject, SV really was annoyed by this, I quote "Why the hell aren't they progressing with the plot between Merlin and Arthur?" You don't want to know what she said about the end of series 5, either. The only part I can quote is "That's it?" There were a lot more curse words involved and threats against the writers. Utterly entertaining, though._

**Anyway, next chapter … I'm not sure who, but it ought to be entertaining.**


	7. Sir Leon

**Here we go again. Our favorite background knight that keeps surviving, I was glad they gave him more of a role as time went on. **

_MC: Just so you know, SV has decided that Leon is an alternate version of Sir Lionel from Arthurian Legend. The main reason is they both have names meaning 'Lion'. I kid you not, that's how she came up with this. (I think she was annoyed the writers didn't pick up on that themselves.)_

**Sir Leon**

Leon is a loyal knight of Camelot, he's no supporter of magic or those who would use it; Leon has seen too many sorcerers use magic to hurt fellow knights and innocent bystanders. He supports the King's no tolerance ban on magic for that reason, though it doesn't stop him at night from hearing the cries and pleas from those he's helped arrest and watched die.

His skill on the field is good, rivaled only by a handful of knights, Sir Kay and Sir Bedivere among them, and he's always watched Sir Kay and his younger brother in amusement, especially when Sir Kay is giving him a hard time. (What Sir Kay did to some trainees that gave the boy a hard time is legendary among the older knights.)

So when the King asks him to watch Sir Kay's brother and report on his progress after the boy saved the Lady Morganna, he rationalizes that the King was impressed by the boy, and took an interest. Arthur is a good kid, quickly catching up to his brother in combat and hunting, and even as just the ward of Sir Kay's father, there's no hiding he's of noble blood. So, Leon reports honestly to the King, Arthur is knight potential, as far as he's concerned, and Arthur will be one of the best.

"And what is the boy's position on sorcery?" The King asks, and Leon barely hides his surprise.

"I haven't heard him speak about it, sire." Leon says, unsure where this questioning is going. Surely the king does not suspect _Arthur_ of being a sorcerer?

Well, Sir Kay doesn't particularly care for the ban, that's fairly well known; Kay upholds it as well as any knight of Camelot, but he doesn't care for it. Perhaps the King wants to know if Arthur's opinion is the same as his brother's? Leon tries to ignore his growing sense of unease at the way the questions are going.

"What does he speak about?"

"He speaks of protecting Camelot and those loyal to the kingdom, sire, to tell the truth, he does not speak of sorcery or those that use it, only about training and girls, much like many boys his age." Leon sees no problem with this, it's a dangerous topic to even speak of, as far as he's concerned, and even Sir Kay doesn't speak outright about magic or its ban.

The King, however, does, because he frowns and dismisses Leon with an order to keep observing the boy.

Sir Kay has noticed him, Leon knows, but hasn't done anything in response to his shadowing of the boy. It is Sir Bedivere that corners him one day, unimpressed with his spying on Arthur, and is even more unimpressed with the reason for it.

"Arthur's a good person, he'll be one of the best knights in Camelot, and you know this. Why does the King have you watching him?" Bedivere demands, and Leon hesitantly explains that the King wanted to know Arthur's opinion on sorcery, and took issue with Leon's answer.

Bedivere is still unimpressed, but does not push the issue, though now he keeps an eye on Leon. (It takes Leon until Arthur is knighted to realize that Bedivere took issue with him spying on one of their own, and Leon's attempt to justify it.) The end result tends to be Leon being pulled into joining the three with whatever they do on their off days, usually riding, hunting, or going to the tavern, occasionally watching whatever traveling performer has come into the market square.

It's really the closest he's had to a friend since Gwen became a maid in the castle and he went into knight training- he sees her, occasionally, but they don't interact, now that they're grown and have duties to perform. They occasionally wave and smile as they see each other, but even that's been slowly disappearing.

(Leon might, just might, have recommended Guinevere to the Lady Morganna, during one of her sort of secret spars with Arthur. He doesn't know what happened to her previous maid, but he's fairly sure Guinevere and Morganna will get on. Morganna found it amusing that he was a little hesitant in suggesting it, and didn't want her to tell Gwen.)

Leon can't stop watching Arthur and reporting to the King, however much he would like to, but he does his best to help the young knight complete every challenge as best as he can without compromising the boy's own honor.

It's not until Arthur is put on probation for something during a mission he was not assigned to, that Leon learns he was not the only knight the King had watching the boy. In fact, with his less than satisfactory answers, and the other knights reporting that Leon occasionally helped Arthur, the King no longer considers his testimony valid, just useful.

It's a rather frustrating situation, and Leon doesn't object to being sent to one of Camelot's nobles lands to help deal with bandits, just so that things might be less awkward.

(It takes him three months into the assignment to realize that he considers Kay, Bedivere and Arthur his friends more than any of the other knights; but by then, the problem with bandits has turned into a dispute with Mercia, followed by a dispute with Odin's Kingdom, and by the time he's returned to Camelot, things are never going to be the same.)

* * *

**I kinda liked how Leon went from a by-the-book knight to a knight of the round table. Next up, should be Arthur, and we'll cover Mark of Nimueh and Poisoned Chalice …**

_MC: Ideally. Her ideas tend to morph on her. We'll see._


	8. Arthur

**Ah, Arthur, not the easiest one to write for, just so you know.**

_MC: No kidding. I had my work cut out for me on this one, SV wanted to back up a bit with Arthur before moving forward, I thought it was silly, but she won out in the end. Well, not so much won as bribed me with Cherry Garcia ice cream, and I caved like a wet cardboard box. By the way, Remember how SV claimed these wouldn't be in perfect chronological order? This is because due to things happening differently, certain episodes won't happen the same way (or at all, with one or two) that they did in the show. Also, certain plots will come into play much, much, earlier._

**Arthur**

Arthur has never been interested in dragging up the few memories of the time before Sir Ector took him in. He remembers being by himself for the most part, some vague memories of people that he might have interacted with (but no names or faces), the silver of knight's armor, and someone screaming as fire burns. So he much prefers life with Sir Ector and Kay, even if Kay is mean and a bully, because it's far better than those rather empty memories.

He never calls Sir Ector 'father', the man had told him multiple times that he is not his father, just his guardian (despite Kay almost gleefully taking the role of his older brother) and Arthur agrees, because the word 'Father' is accompanied by a feeling of distance and a vague image of someone's back. Sir Ector is nothing like that, he always turns to Arthur and Kay, and even though Arthur is just his ward, Sir Ector still treats him the same as Kay. (He wishes often he could call him something other than his name, and sometimes, he thinks Sir Ector wants it too.)

Kay's suggestion that maybe he lost family to the purges hurts his heart for some reason, and Arthur can't put a name to the feeling in his chest, so he runs and gets pinned by Kay (who's almost taller than Ector now, and still _growing_, Arthur finds it annoying) who manages to make the odd feeling in his chest go away.

It returns when Sir Ector insist he wear the ring that is supposed to find his family. Arthur doesn't want to find them now, he has Kay and Sir Ector and that's all he really wants, but Sir Ector doesn't listen. Arthur does wear the ring on the chain around his neck, but he doesn't show it to anyone in Camelot, and no one gives it a close look.

Camelot isn't much different from life on Sir Ector's lands, but Arthur's too young yet to be considered a squire, and so gets the lovely job of being a page/stable boy, which is basically doing all the jobs the squires don't want and run errands and messages for the Knights when they can't send the squires.

Kay has a lot of fun teasing him about it, before he goes and beats up the trainees who try to abuse the privileges of their rank. The teasing is toned down in public afterwards, but it still makes Arthur want to strangle his 'beloved' older brother. (Kay is an Ass, it's something he's long known, but couldn't say to his face until Sir Ector sent them off.)

* * *

The kick from the horse is less painful than when the odd feeling returns as he listens to the King identify him as his son, but then refuse to recognize him in the same breath. If his own Father doesn't want to recognize him, then Arthur won't recognize the man as his father either. (Gaius won't let him get away with that, and he has to call that man 'Father' when around him, something about not hiding from the truth, though Kay is also of the opinion Arthur shouldn't have to call that man Father.)

Lady Morganna, at least, treats him well, and Arthur knows that Kay has decided she's little sister material when he starts calling her 'Kitten', much to the consternation of many who find such a name improper. (Morganna loves it, and insists that Kay becomes her champion to Uther.) Arthur and her share their experiences as being wards ("Uther isn't the most expressive guardian, but I know he does love me … he used to hold me at night when I had nightmares of the night you were taken, even let me sit on his lap a few times so I could better see the jousts." "Sir Ector's more expressive, the only thing he wouldn't do was let me call him father.") She helps him learn the customs and etiquette that a prince should know, just in case the King decides to question him personally instead of having his activities reported on, while he pays her back by sparring with her in secret.

He is knighted, but the recognition of being a prince does not come and Arthur is both relieved and upset by this. He continues to work through the ranks, becoming one of the youngest champions Camelot has ever had, but he knows he's not the prince his father wanted. It's never more obvious then on the occasions that the King orders him to eat with him and Morganna, and Arthur has to answer every question that the King throws at him, making those dinners more like an inquisition than family meals. (Morganna's tutelage has greatly helped, but it's still obviously not enough.)

It could have easily been him in a druid's camp, and that one fact keeps him squarely against the treatment of magic users. He knows he is honor bound to not only obey the King, but to uphold the laws of the kingdom, but he cannot condone the killing of women and children.

Uther did not take his argument for showing mercy well.

"Were you not my flesh and blood, I would have you flogged and banished. You swore to uphold the laws and to follow orders, you are honor bound to obey them and me." Uther reminded him. "Guards!" He called, and the only thing that kept Arthur from fighting back was the sight of Kay just behind them, looking ready to charge in should he call for aid. "A night in the dungeon, for your insolence, and we will talk again when you have calmed down." The guards grabbed him and started to pull him out of the chambers.

"Sire-!" Kay started.

"It's alright, Kay!" Arthur stopped his brother from saying anything, but the guards pulled him away before he could make sure Kay didn't do anything rash.

"Sorry, Sir Arthur, we're not supposed to let those we escort talk to anyone." The guard on his left murmured. "Well, not until they get to the cells, at least."

"I know, Alexander and Dinadan, right?" Arthur murmured back, remembering the two as younger stable boys he'd helped train to be guards.

"Right. Now will you two stop talking, we're not supposed to talk either!" Dinadan muttered.

* * *

After the King passed sentence on him, Arthur had thought he'd be in for a repeat of being a stable boy and page.

Only the older Knights, many who had been with Uther for years, treated him that way. The rest continued to treat him as they always did, and Arthur ended up doing more training of recruits, being made the unofficial training master and huntsman. Didn't stop him from having to muck out the stables occasionally, but it was a type of limbo he could survive.

Merlin, the idiot, changed that. Not only did the boy save Morganna, he was a magic user. In Camelot. Where Magic was outlawed and would end in death if he was discovered.

'Magic is evil and corrupts', Uther has always claimed. It's his excuse for ordering the deaths of women and children who use magic. But Merlin isn't evil or corrupt, he's a clumsy idiot that makes flowers float and occasionally conjures butterflies.

("You're such a girl, Merlin." Arthur says when he catches him, grinning at the reply of "Prat.")

Arthur doesn't really want to be a prince or a king, but he suddenly realizes how little he can do to protect anyone- he's not a knight, still well-respected he may be, he can't give orders and have them followed.

He thinks about the way he and Merlin worked together to help Kay and expose Valiant, and there was something _right_ in the way they worked together, magic and sword.

* * *

Arthur's never really known Guinevere, or paid much attention to her. He knows her father, Tom, who'd been amused at how pathetic Arthur's attempts at forging a dagger had been during one of the rare days off he'd had as a page, and he's seen her with Morganna, naturally, but he's never spoken to Guinevere before. And any concern for Guinevere, the girl he just started to get to know, is brushed aside when, after she's accused of witchcraft to save her father, Merlin bursts in and announces he's a sorcerer to the King and most of the court. (Gaius looks like he might faint.)

Merlin is an utter idiot, and Arthur quickly grabs him, elbowing him in the stomach to stop him from speaking, and makes up a lie.

"He's in love with Guinevere, my Lord! They've been courting, he's out of his mind with desperation to save her." Merlin's attempts to sabotage the lie are thankfully stopped by Kay grabbing the younger man and covering his mouth. "I should have realized he was planning this, he's been trying to see her all day."

Uther takes the lie when Gaius confirms Merlin has been foolishly in love with her, but Merlin is still an utter idiot, so when Kay hauls him down a couple halls to a secluded corner, Sir Bedivere just behind, and removes his hand, he blurts out, "Arthur, you know I did use magic to heal Gwen's father!"

"Ears, shut up, and listen to my brother." Kay snaps, and Bedivere moves closer, as if to hide them with his body. Arthur is grateful neither of them hate magic, bound to uphold the law or not, and they don't think healing by magic is something to be punished by death.

"There's another way to fix this situation, and that's finding out whatever it is that's making people sick. We find that, we can say there was something different Guinevere and her father did that made him recover faster."

"You don't have much time, they'll burn her tomorrow morning." Bedivere notes, and Merlin suddenly hunches, finally realizing that he's given away his secret. "The King believes Arthur's story, so that's what happened, Merlin, but please, don't ever say anything like that in such a public space again." Bedivere nods to Kay and walks away, and Arthur suddenly realizes that Kay looks worried. (It's a rare occurrence, Arthur only remembers a handful of times it's happened.)

"Suddenly, Valiant's shield revealing itself makes sense." Kay says, and Arthur knows neither he or Merlin are hiding their expressions. "Arthur, Merlin, please, be careful. I'll cover for you, no questions asked, but please, don't do anything that will come to the attention of the king … I like several of the knights and don't want to have to kill them."

"Do you want to know?" Arthur asks, because he's never really kept a secret from Kay before, now that he thinks on it.

"No, its best if me and Bedivere don't know for right now …" Kay grabs them both in a hug (That's more like him wrapping an arm around each of their necks and pulling them close so that their heads almost collide), and Merlin looks utterly confused by the sudden show of affection. "Little brothers are such trouble." Kay mutters, but it doesn't sound like something he'd normally say out loud, so Arthur doesn't comment.

"Thanks, Kay." Arthur mumbles, which is echoed by Merlin. Kay just grins.

"Anytime, Wart, now you get that love-struck Ears to Gaius, see what he's got in the way of calming draughts." Kay waves and strides off after Bedivere, and Arthur pulls Merlin to Gaius.

"Sorry." Merlin says halfway there, "I wasn't thinking …"

"Merlin, you forget I already know you're an idiot." Arthur gives him a small smile. "You don't have to save Guinevere by yourself, Morganna and I will help."

"I know, I just, forgot." Merlin admits, and Arthur rolls his eyes.

"Obviously, idiot. Just promise me you'll never do something that stupid in front of the King again?"

"Alright." Merlin nods. "So, Gaius thinks that the disease might be in the water supply, he wants to go down and get a sample."

"Do that, I'm going to go check on how many more are sick."

It's still oddly _right_, how they can easily fall into same teamwork against the Afanc, the way Merlin used a spell on the torch to defeat it while Arthur kept it busy. Once it's dead, people begin to recover and Morganna and Merlin all but tackle Guinevere with hugs. (Awkwardly, Merlin pushes Guinevere into his arms with a grin, possibly as repayment for the 'in love with her' lie he'd made. Guinevere is oddly small in his arms, and the hug is possibly the shortest one in history, both of them not quite looking at each other after.)

* * *

Camelot had entered Mercia's civil war favoring Bayard's cousin, and it was rather awkward to have Bayard and his entourage in the castle. Arthur didn't really see Merlin while things were being set up for the treaty. He had to escort a young merician maid when she got lost, and he was sure there would be others who'd 'get lost' for more nefarious purposes while the other king was here.

The news that many of Camelot's and Mercia's knights are in the dungeon due to a brawl was less shocking than the fact the Kay and Bedivere were among them. Arthur finishes with the new trainees (he's contemplating not teaching them at all, they're just not capable) and sees the maid from before approaching with a flask of water.

"Um, thought you might like something to drink." She holds it out with a hesitant smile.

"Thank you." Arthur smiles at her as he takes it, and before he can lift it to his lips, Merlin is there and snatching it away. "What the-"

"It's poison!" Merlin almost yells, and a few heads turn. Arthur _knows_ things are not going to end well, and Merlin needs to learn basic diplomacy.

"No it's not!" The girl looks upset.

"Merlin, I highly doubt anyone wants to kill me, give it here!" Arthur tries to grab it with an apologetic look to the serving girl.

Merlin dodges out of reach, and gulps the contents down. For a moment, Arthur considers yelling at him for being insensitive (which says something, Arthur knows he's not much good with speaking to the opposite sex, he tends to talk to them as if they were men or not at all, if he can help it, Kay found it hilarious), when Merlin suddenly goes grey and collapses.

"Oh, god, it was poisoned!" The serving girl is now close to tears. Arthur grabs the flask, attaches it to his belt, and scoops up Merlin. "But she said… I'm so sorry!"

"Help me get him to the physician!" Arthur orders, and oh, if- _when_\- the idiot survives this, he's going to be on the receiving end of Arthur's fist.

When Gaius tells him there's only one place he can find the cure, Arthur doesn't hesitate. Kay is still in the dungeons with Bedivere, Uther and Bayard are yelling threats at each other, and Arthur straps on his armor and rides out with Morganna and Guinevere's blessings.

Something is off about the woman he meets, but Arthur has no time to be suspicious, Merlin is dying, and the sooner he gets the plant, the better. He wraps her arm with a piece of his cloak, and gets the feeling she's studying him, testing him.

And then the ledge crumbles under his feet from her spell, and Arthur realizes only after the light-ball appears (and it's odd that he immediately thinks 'Merlin, stop using magic when you're dying', but that's what he feels from looking at the light) that she called him Arthur _Pendragon_.

_No one_ calls him that, and only a few know he's Uther's son, everyone knows him as Sir Arthur, Sir Kay's foster-brother who got put on probation for a year.

(He puts the mystery on hold, he hates spiders and it's only sheer adrenaline that helps him climb so fast.)

He returns in time to save Merlin's life, staying with the idiot while Gaius walks off with an odd look on his face after he describes the woman who both helped and tried to kill him. Guinevere leaves to report to Morganna, leaving Arthur to stare at Merlin in wonder.

He can't imagine why Merlin was willing to risk his life to save his, but he's sure it was only because Merlin didn't know that he was the son of the magic-hating Uther.

Arthur vows to repay Merlin somehow, hopefully, if the King ever did acknowledge him as prince and heir to the throne, Merlin would still be his friend.

* * *

**Alright, obviously, this does have the raid mentioned in 4x10, Herald of a New Age, as happening a little before Merlin Arrives. The only statement we receive from Arthur (who's about 24/25 during that episode) about when it happened in the episode was that 'he was young'. This could be anywhere from 13/14 to 18 years old, especially for a prince that's trained since birth to be a knight to his father. (Squires were roughly ages 13-16, and often knighted on the battlefield if the knight they served fell, unless another knight felt they were too young and took them under their wing.) That's the cannon version in the show.**

**This Arthur, on the other hand, meets Uther when he's 14, trains for a few years, is knighted around 16/17 and is Camelot's champion at 18, which prompts Uther into giving him more and more command missions, so the Raid happens when Arthur is 19/20. More on this in story, but I thought more could have been done with this idea from a writing standpoint.**

**So, no Morganna going with Merlin and Arthur-**

_MC: Cliffnotes- SV found it unbelievable that neither Arthur or Morganna noticed Merlin doing magic, 'unless Morganna's screams drowned him out, but I'm pretty sure torches don't turn into flamethrowers randomly'. She also eliminated Arthur going to Uther for permission and that unnecessary (her words) kick the dog moment._

_I pointed out that now Arthur is keeping secrets from Merlin, but SV's response was just that Merlin hasn't mentioned the conversation with the dragon or the prophecy they're connected too. Your thoughts?_

… **Moving on, Alexander and Dinadan are two knights I faintly remembered the names of (Faintly, I mean, I thought Dinadan was Dino-something, or even Dido) but I've made them guards … they'll probably get more screen time later, or just stick as cameo characters, we'll see.**

**Next up is Nimueh's pov, followed by my least favorite, but MC's most loved Favorite, character: Lancelot.**

_MC:*Squees!*_


	9. Nimueh, High Priestess II

**Note at Chapter's end.**

**Nimueh, High Priestess II**

Nimueh remembers loving Uther, once. His betrayal has tainted those feelings, and her own hate for him (and herself for having loved him) has turned it into a poison that will not stop burning in her veins with each and every execution.

She has only one soothing memory, now, that of Ygraine, sweet Ygraine and her joy at having a child, not hating her even as her life was traded for her son's. Nimueh holds onto that memory, even as she plots to destroy Uther for all the pain he's caused her and her people.

Balinor might be content with hiding away, but Nimueh has never been able to let things go, it had been one of the things that she and Uther shared, back when they were battling to unite Camelot.

So she plots, she plans, and (after kidnapping and giving the boy to Sir Ector) watches over Ygraine's son whenever she can. She's upset when the boy does go to Camelot to become a knight, but she's oddly happy that he and Uther don't see eye to eye.

(Uther would never believe it, but she didn't enchant the boy to alter his mind or give him those nightmares of fire, Nimueh had been tempted, naturally, but she had risked much by kidnapping the boy, an enchantment like that would have been too risky.)

Arthur is just like Ygraine, in appearance and heart, and Nimueh is happy when he takes the odd boy with magic, Merlin, under wing and protects him from discovery. Here is the chance for the seeds of Albion to begin to sprout.

But it's not enough, she knows this. Nimueh must draw out Emrys, Emrys who will be near the Once and Future King, drawn to him by fate and destiny. She's got to make sure Emrys gains the power over Life and Death, and Nimueh starts by using the Afanc.

She watches as Merlin aids Arthur, and wonders … she'll need to be closer, to see for sure, and she gets her chance when Bayard chooses to sign a treaty with Camelot. She'd much rather Mercia and Camelot keep their distance, because then Uther cannot call on Sir Ector and have him identify her as the one that took Arthur away.

(Sir Ector is not a liar or an idiot, and it was only the debt he owed her that he agreed to raise Arthur in secret, he knew the boy was Uther's son the moment he looked at him, and the danger of what could happen if Uther found out.)

Uther will not recognize Arthur as his son to Bayard, so she won't be able to cause a war that way, but she's got two problems to deal with, keeping Mercia and Camelot separate (another war would be preferable, but she'll settle for just strained relations) and seeing how loyal this Merlin is to Arthur (and vice versa, she wants Arthur to be a noble like his mother, and Ygraine once risked her life for a mere serving girl).

The easiest way is poison, of course, but she has to do it the right way. There were so many types, so many ways to do the simple task of poisoning Merlin, and strain relations between the two kingdoms so that Uther could not send or go to Sir Ector.

(It would be easier to list the ways she couldn't do it, actually.)

* * *

Her guise as a servant works, as does the charm that keeps Gaius and Uther from noticing her. She's right in front of Gaius, and he pays her no mind as Merlin helps her pick up the bedclothes she dropped. (Gaius might not use his magic anymore, but it's still there, and those with magic are more aware of charms and things altered by magic, so he was the real test, not Uther.)

Time and strain have done a number on his appearance, Nimueh thinks as she walks away, but Gaius is still a shrewd opponent, and will recognize who she is the instant she does something familiar.

She should have remembered that Sir Ector's son had seen her, all those years ago. But she's not in any way upset, because this gives her the chance to strain relations between Bayard and Uther. He corners her, trying to be discreet, and she screams, causing a group of Mercia and Camelot knights to descend on them. Sir Kay is utterly bewildered as he is set upon by the Mercia guards, who are then repulsed by Sir Kay's fellow Camelot knights.

With all the participants locked in battle (and latter arrested, to be questioned individually) Nimueh slips away. Uther and Bayard accuse each other for their knights' lack of discipline, and the struggle to make sense of who exactly started the whole mess will keep them occupied for quite some time.

It's more than enough time to give one of Bayard's other serving girls the poisoned flask, convince her to give it to Arthur, who she's been watching with doe-eyes since he helped her find her way, and rush to Merlin who not only listens, but then goes and drinks the cup to protect his friend.

Nimueh honestly has never seen someone so desperate to help a friend that he willingly drinks poison. Uther uses the incident to accuse Bayard of trying to undermine Camelot's forces (still not acknowledging Arthur as the prince, Nimueh notes in disgust, barely even acknowledging that the boy is an important knight) and Nimueh escapes before they can round up everyone.

* * *

Nimueh settles down outside the cave, and spins yet another disguise about herself. She doesn't have to wait long for Arthur to arrive outside the cave, and he's only briefly distracted by her tears before taking down the cockatrice.

"You're hurt?" He notes, and tears a part of his cloak to wrap around the wound on her arm as she makes up a story about a cruel master that she escaped from. "I see, I'm afraid that's the best I can do right now."

"Will you help me?" Nimueh asks him, wanting (no, _needing_) to see how he would respond. _Please be Ygraine's son, not Uther's._

"I'm sorry; I have something to do here." He gestures to the cave, before grabbing his horse's reins to tether the animal.

"You're after the morteus plant?" Nimueh asks, but he doesn't answer, now looking at her warily. "I can help you, I know this place."

"Didn't you just escape from your master?" Arthur responds, still studying her.

"I've escaped to here before, he found me last time, because of the cockatrice." Nimueh covers, and if Arthur suspects she's lying, he doesn't let on.

"Very well, I'll try to protect you." Arthur goes in front of her, and Nimueh has to remind him that she's there to guide him a few times. His thoughts are clearly back in Camelot with the friend she poisoned.

_Ygraine, forgive me, I have to test him._ The laws and magic of The Old Religion requires her to test those that would challenge death and fate, and as the Once and Future King, Arthur is destined to do both. He's not a child anymore, and Nimueh has to channel a little of her rage at Uther in order to taunt the young man as he hangs off the sheer rock wall. "You are not destined to die at my hand, Arthur Pendragon!"

Leaving him there takes less effort and once outside, she hides near his horse. Nimueh smiles when she sees the ball of light guiding Arthur back.

Emrys conjured it, she knows, trying to help his other half and the bond between the two would only continue to grow. She still needs to draw Emrys out in order for him to gain the power over Life and Death, but for now, she has proof that the two have taken the first steps towards their destiny. She can take some time to come up with another plan, so she returns home, to watch and wait.

* * *

Nimueh's arrival at her home on the Isle is met with a familiar thrill in the air, a familiar magic seeking hers. (And it makes her ache for the past, just as being near Arthur made her ache with the memory of Ygraine; even the sight of Gaius had caused a similar ache, but she would never admit that to anyone.)

"Your magic is very similar to Vivienne's, your mother." The blonde woman that turns to her keeps her expression neutral, and Nimueh smiles, needling the blonde into reacting. "What brings you here, Morgause? Last I heard, you were starting an alliance with Cenred so he could take his kingdom from his brother, or was it take his brother's kingdom? I must admit, it was rather obvious this would happen if their father hadn't just mutilated the younger twin like his advisers said."

"Cenred tests my patience, but I came here for information." Morgause doesn't react to her needling, and Nimueh wonders if Gaius had any idea of how the baby he'd spared would turn out.

"There will be a price for that information." Nimueh had a vague idea of what Morgause wanted, currently, the woman believed she'd been the daughter of Gorlois and Vivienne (hard to hide it, Gaius had left her with a bracelet stamped with Gorlois' seal, only her magic had kept her from seeking her sister in Camelot).

"I am aware of that." Morgause draws out a vial of scarlet liquid. "Young Queen Annis had me brew this, but would not say what this color means, only that it was not the color that should have been."

"Caerleon is a paranoid man still, I see." Nimueh sighs, taking the vial. "Wanted to prove you were the daughter of Gorlois without a doubt?"

"He was suspicious that one daughter would be hidden while another was taken in by Camelot's King, yes." Morgause agrees, and Nimueh wonders if the woman has any idea of the saying 'ignorance is bliss'. "He will not aid me or Cenred until I find out who it is."

Nimueh holds the vial up to the light, seeing other colors in the scarlet. She already knows full well who Morgause's real father is, (yet another reason to hate him, actually, Ygraine hadn't known, and Nimueh hadn't discovered it until years after the fact that Vivienne's firstborn had not been stillborn as claimed) but there's a far steeper price attached than either are willing to pay. "Anything else you need to know?"

"Has Uther's son been found?"

"Hoping to influence him against his father still?" More than a few druids and magic users had been searching for him the moment it was made known the boy had been taken from Camelot for that reason. Nimueh had made sure none had found him; Uther would have killed him without noticing that it was his son, otherwise. "Uther has not recognized his son, though they stood a few feet from each other, and The Once and Future King does not agree with Uther's choices. He will not be the instrument of his father's death, nor will his death be caused by magic," The followers of the Disir had murmured about this, faithful to the mouth-pieces of the Triple Goddess they may be, they still had their own thoughts on the way destiny should come about, many hoped for Emrys to kill the man, "Uther's own actions shall do it."

"Your words are noted, High Priestess." Morgause moves closer, but still keeps a respectful distance. "Now, who is my parentage?"

"Scarlet as the field of his flag, with hints of gold as the dragon perched on it." Nimueh turns and hands the vial back, she does not smile as, for once, Morgause loses her stoic demeanor as she takes the vial. "Conceived on a night of revelry and victory, but your mother's husband had not yet returned." The vial shatters in Morgause's hands. "I had thought it strange, that Vivienne's knowledge and magic had yielded a still born child. No doubt he realized your hair would have given you away, and bade you be disposed of." Nimueh steps away. What Morgause does with that information was now out of Nimueh's control.

"Wait, I need counsel!" Morgause actually sounds shaken, and Nimueh glances over her shoulder, the scarlet from the potion coating her hands, making them look as if they were covered in blood.

"I have none to give; you will never speak to me again." The rules of the Old Religion, the laws she was bound to, were never set in stone or on vellum. They hummed in her veins and her magic, and though she may, at times, find loopholes and times where they would bend in clemency, she could not disobey them.

Nimueh had known she would not be able to counsel Morgause after telling her who her father was, or rather, that Morgause would no longer be allowed to receive anymore counsel from Nimueh once she knew who her father was. It was why Nimueh had stalled, asking if there was anything else she wished to know.

Morgause's magic lashed out behind her, and Nimueh felt the magic of the Isle itself send her away.

Nimueh closed her eyes. One by one, her ties to the world were being removed. She hadn't truly noticed it before, but now she knew, the time of her death was fast approaching, she must make sure that Emrys gained the power of life and death.

* * *

_MC: MORGAUSE CAME FROM NO WHERE! … Sorry, I'm calm now, I didn't realize SV was going to do this much welding … By the by, any suggestions about Aggravating?_

**I got a few … Oh, wait, AN time.**

**So, this is probably the last time we'll see Nimueh. First time we've got Morgause. She mentions 'Gaheris', who, in some myths, is her son and the one that kills her. Here, he was the Druid that raised and trained her. Whether or not he'll have more of a role remains to be seen.**

**Because I wasn't if Morgause was aware that she and Uther were related in the show (or if she only thought Morganna was her half sister who she shared a mother with, details are a bit sketchy) Gaius does mention to Uther that he didn't kill Morgause when Uther wanted him to, instead smuggling her out. I thought it might be fun to have that reveal. She actually calmed down the moment she was no longer on the Isle, but I figured, finding out the man you hate and would kill you was your father probably deserves an OOC moment. More on Morgause and her relationships to Arthur, Morganna and Uther later.**


	10. Lancelot Du Lac

_MC: Just so you know, SV doesn't actually care much for Lancelot. As she recently pointed out to me, him and his love story with Guinevere were very late additions to Arthurian Mythos, I quote "Added centuries later by the french". (When I pointed out so was Morgan Le Fay, all she did was mumble that she replaced Arthur's full sister Anna that no one ever mentions anymore, but while we both like Arthurian Legends, neither of us are scholars, and half of what we know comes from random trivia we look up.) And that's just her excuse not to put any focus on the love triangle, or any love triangle, for that matter. So, any mentions of Lancelot and Guinevere shipping are all me!_

… **Guilty as charged. (Well, that, and I've never liked the fact that, both Guinevere and Lancelot are proclaimed to love Arthur the most in those stories, and yet they still betray him. Not that you can't betray the people you love, but every version I've seen of that love story just rubs me wrong, like **_**Twilight**_**. **_**Merlin**_**'s version bothers me the least.) I've included 'Du Lac' as Lancelot's last name, neither of us were sure if that was appropriate or not.**

**Lancelot Du Lac**

It's a bittersweet thing, when Lancelot realizes that he has the freedom to pursue his desire to become a knight, at the cost of everything he once had. He no longer has a home or a duty to follow in his father's footsteps, and Lancelot is nothing but determined to become a knight and protect others. He sets out for Camelot, remembering the stories of the honor and ability of their Knights.

It's months later that he finally comes within sight of the castle and city, and from afar the city is a symbol of hope and promise for a new life.

Lancelot doesn't really think when he sees the griffin charging the stranger, promptly running to help him. When the griffin leaves, Lancelot just barely gets his name out before he falls into unconsciousness. (Later, he's a little disappointed he wasn't conscious entering the city, but that is something he couldn't really control.)

* * *

When he wakes, he learns the stranger he saved is the Court Physcian's Apprentice, and his name is Merlin. (He can't really judge anyone on their names, his mother never fully explained where they got his name from.) Merlin is eager to repay him for helping him, and all but drags Lancelot to the training grounds, ignoring the looks of servants and guards.

"The trainees are training right now, so I can introduce you to the Training Master, or whatever they call him, he's not really an official position, but he's one of the best, former champion of Camelot, his brother's the current one." Merlin explains on the way, and Lancelot has to smother a grin at the stray thought that Merlin was like a puppy he'd seen, all gangly limbs and eager to please. (Must be the medicine he was given.)

At the training yard, Lancelot's eyes immediately fall on the blond young man (he must be around Lancelot's own age, perhaps older?) who is training the Knights-to-be, barking orders at two who are goofing off even as he disarms and knocks down the one he's sparring with. Something about him makes Lancelot straighten as he turns towards them when Merlin speaks up.

"Gaius said you reached your quota of injured trainees for the next month _yesterday_, you know."

"It's good training for you too, _Mer_lin, you shouldn't complain." The man says, the trainees doing their best to stealthily back away from their trainer. "Who's this?"

Lancelot can _feel_ the man's eyes assessing him, and is unsure whether to bow and show submission or continue to stand tall while introducing himself, but before he can respond, Merlin does.

"His name's Lancelot, he saved me from a griffin and would like to be a knight. Lancelot, this is Arthur, the Training Master of Camelot's knights and guards." Merlin introduces them with a grin, and Lancelot wonders how well they know each other if Merlin can leave off the 'Sir' or 'Lord' that a training master should have (Lancelot thinks that Arthur must be a Knight, so 'Sir' would be the most appropriate address). "I'd like to request that you test him." Merlin adds, and behind Sir Arthur the trainees look torn between hopeful and horrified for some reason. Sir Arthur looks at Merlin, and there's some sort of silent communication between them before Sir Arthur gives a slight nod of his head, and Lancelot has to catch the training sword the man tosses at him.

"Come at me as if your life depends on it." Is the only order Lancelot receives.

Lancelot's father mainly fished for a living, with some small farming on the side. He'd always been at home on the lake they lived near. It had been a source of frustration that his only son was more comfortable on land. Lancelot could never explain to him how natural it felt, to hold a weapon in his hands and fight, though he never cared for killing his opponents.

Sir Arthur was much the same, Lancelot realized that the moment their blades first crossed, seeing a glimmer of the same comfort and exhilaration in his eyes that mirrored the emotions that Lancelot was feeling. Clearly, not only was fighting as natural as breathing to the man in front of him, but he'd had much more training and experience than Lancelot himself did (having been largely self taught), and Lancelot was quickly put on the defensive each and every time he tried to go on the offensive.

The last time their blades met, Lancelot couldn't tell who disarmed who as both blades fell to the ground. Lancelot is also winded, only just realizing how long their fight had gone on. He can feel Sir Arthur's assessing gaze once more, and when he looks up to meet it, he can't tell what the other is thinking.

"… Your full name?"

"Lancelot Du Lac." He answers, and Sir Arthur just gives a considering nod, before turning to the wide-eyed trainees and barking out orders to get their weapons and gear cleaned before reporting to another knight. The trainees scurry off, one picking up the practice weapons he and Arthur used, before the three are left alone.

"I'll just go get us lunch!" Merlin says brightly, "Best escort him back to Gaius', I can make sure you didn't hurt each other!" He adds as he very quickly disappears, leaving Lancelot with Sir Arthur.

"Come on, then." Sir Arthur starts walking, stopping briefly by a well to pull up some water. "Tell me about yourself as we walk, you're a good fighter, but I take it you haven't had much training?"

Lancelot feels relieved, Sir Arthur hadn't just dismissed him, and it doesn't really occur to him that this is most likely another type of test. "No, My father was a fisherman and farmer in a small village north of here, but my entire family is dead."

"Why do you want to be a knight?" Sir Arthur asked, not offering any condolences for the loss, and Lancelot doesn't know if he's disappointed or relieved by that.

"… I've always wanted to be one, I don't have anything else, the village was destroyed a few months ago, the few survivors sought shelter in another village. I'm, good at fighting, not farming or fishing." That gets a small smile from Sir Arthur.

"Merlin said you saved him from a griffin?"

"He was defenseless, what person would leave another to die when they could do something about it?" Lancelot retorts, and is not sure what to make of the bitter laugh from Sir Arthur in response.

"What person indeed …" He murmurs, and pushes the door open to the Physician's chambers.

"Well?" Merlin demands as they enter, looking at Sir Arthur expectantly while fiddling with a piece of bread.

"He's better than this current batch of trainees combined, I'll give him that." Sir Arthur grabs a roll and breaks it in half. "The only problem is the King refuses to knight anyone not of a noble family. There are a few ways around that, though one is to lie and hope you don't get found out and not recommended. The better ways are either to gain the patronage of a noble house, I can think of two who do not have sons and wouldn't mind having a ward to become a knight. But you'd have to impress them, and that could take awhile. Or, do a service for the King himself, easiest way would be bring the head of a monster to him; however, he might give a trial period instead of a knighthood, and you'd have to gain a patronage from a noble house anyway."

"But you could talk to your father about Lancelot, couldn't you?" Merlin presses, and Lancelot is a little impressed that Merlin is doing so much for him when they'd only just met.

Sir Arthur sighed. "Merlin, you forget, _again_, that I've been temporarily removed from knighthood until I prove myself. My father does not currently acknowledge me as his son, and my guardian, Sir Ector, is in Mercia and unlikely to be able to help."

"Temporarily removed from Knighthood?" Lancelot asks before Merlin could respond. "How?"

"He won't say." Merlin glares at Arthur (so, he hadn't made a mistake by just using the man's name, Lancelot belatedly realized he might have just asked a bad question).

"… I disobeyed an order I felt was cruel and personally told the king what I thought about it. Normal punishment would have included flogging and banishment, but the king granted me the leniency of a probation period." Arthur ignores Merlin's glare, while looking at Lancelot as he answered Lancelot's question. "I had been the King's Champion, which is the only reason he showed me mercy."

There was more to the story, Lancelot could feel it, but judging from Merlin's expression, he was regretting hearing that bit. Instead of asking the question he wanted to, Lancelot asks the next one that comes to mind. "How do you defeat a griffin, then?"

"I was thinking of introducing you to Sir Bedivere after lunch, actually, his father's rather progressive compared to most nobles." Arthur gives him a small smile. "We'll keep the griffin idea in reserve, though." Lancelot smiles back, relieved.

* * *

Despite the griffin attacks, security in the castle is apparently non-existent. No guard questions why Lancelot is following Merlin and Arthur around, and Lancelot can see Arthur occasionally frowning, as if something was out of place.

Sir Bedivere is in the company of another knight, who grins when he sees Arthur and Merlin.

"Hullo Wart, Ears, what brings you our way?"

"You're never going to use my name, are you, Kay?" Merlin groans, and Lancelot watches in shock at the knight grins and grabs Merlin in a headlock.

"Nope! You're the youngest, remember?" While Merlin yelps and struggles in Sir Kay's grip, Arthur pulls Lancelot forward.

"Sir Bedivere, this Lancelot Du Lac, best skill with the sword I've seen all day."

"We've heard you had an impressive spar from the Lady Morganna- she's been looking all over for the three of you, wanting to meet the mystery man." Bedivere smiles at Lancelot's surprise. "She likes watching the training when she can."

"Problem is, the King's rules on eligibility for knighthood." Arthur says, and Bedivere suddenly looks Lancelot with a lot more consideration.

"He doesn't like to bend them," Bedivere agrees, and the two share a look. "I'll speak to my father, he and Lord Ban have also been disappointed with the reports of the current batch of knights."

"Thank you." Lancelot manages, and Bedivere smiles at him.

"No problem. Though it might take a bit, they'll want to see you in action first despite Arthur's recommendation."

"What's that?" Sir Kay asks, coming back to the conversation and releasing Merlin, who's hair is thoroughly ruffled. "Did Wart just suggest someone after only one day?"

"Well, it's that or let him try and kill a griffin." Merlin mutters, trying to fix his hair.

The warning bells sounded, and the group takes off to see the griffin attacking the courtyard.

"You three stay out of sight!" Kay hollers, and he and Bedivere join the other knights in trying to drive it off.

"There's wounded, c'mon." Arthur barely even glances at him, but Lancelot still follows him and Merlin to help drag people to safety.

It feels … _right_.

* * *

In the chaos that follows, (he was roped into running for water, he's not even sure how) he meets the mysterious lady Morganna. She and her maid are bandaging Sir Kay, who's keeping a running commentary on why Arthur must be deaf.

"Really Kitten, does 'stay out of sight' mean 'run into the middle of a battlefield' and no one told me?" Sir Kay demands of her, before noticing Lancelot. "Lance, couldn't you have sat on Wart or something? None of you even had armor."

"Ah, you must be Lancelot that Owain was talking about." Lady Morganna smiles at him. "I'm Morganna, that's Gwen, my maid-"

"Ouch! Easy there Dove!"

"Honestly, no one else complains as much as you, Kay." 'Gwen' tugs the bandage tighter, before taking the water he's carrying. "Thank you." She smiles.

Lancelot manages to smile at them both, both were beautiful, but … "A pleasure to meet you both, my ladies."

"Able to equal Arthur in a fight _and_ charming, I do hope you plan to stick around." Lady Morganna says, and moves to help another knight who was just set down. "Oh, ignore Sir Kay, he seems allergic to calling anyone younger than him anything other than a nickname."

"I'll certainly try to." Lancelot smiles, before realizing he has to go get more water. "If you'll excuse me?" As he leaves, his eyes once again find Gwen. Both were beautiful, but Gwen's smile made his heart beat faster.

* * *

Merlin has magic. Lancelot did not see that coming. Merlin ignores Lancelot in favor of muttering words over Arthur, causing the wound on his shoulder to close from life-threatening to needs-stitches. The other knights are still down, and it will take a bit before reinforcements arrive from the castle. Arthur lifts his head, and looks at Merlin in confusion.

"He saw … you went down, and there was no other way …" Merlin explains, and Arthur grips his sword as he looks over at Lancelot.

Arthur was hiding a sorcerer. Lancelot feels oddly wrong footed, he never thought of sorcerer's as people before, just vague monsters from stories like the griffin. But Merlin is clearly not like that, and if he hadn't used magic, Lancelot would not have been able to strike the griffin.

"I owe you my life, I won't tell anyone." Lancelot swears, a hand over his heart. "Though, I suppose this makes the griffin your kill."

"No, I just made sure you could kill it." Merlin shakes his head.

Lancelot opens his mouth to protest some more, but Arthur just stabs his sword into the ground and levers himself up with an irritable 'shut-up'. Merlin apparently takes that as a sign to go check on the other knights.

"The King will not believe that magic helped defeat it, if he asks, you just realized it had a weak point, having not realized that was what it was when you first encountered it. If you want to give Merlin any credit, say he gave you the lance while he started to tend to me." Arthur looked at the knights. "Your honor and modesty does you credit, Lancelot, but I can tell you right now, if you can't sacrifice or compromise a little of it, you won't be able to protect anyone."

"… You didn't, though." Lancelot points out, with an odd certainty that makes him feel like he can understand the emotions behind Arthur's eyes. Arthur had stood firm against an order that he felt unjust.

"And I am paying for it." Arthur glanced up at the castle, before moving closer to Lancelot. "There are other good people who have been accused of sorcery, but Merlin is the only one I can protect, I have to stand by and watch them die if Merlin can't find a way to prove their innocence. Can you do that?"

Could he? Lancelot opens his mouth, but hesitates; and that hesitation is apparently all the answer Arthur needs.

"I didn't think so." Arthur gave him a gentle smile. "Which is why I've suggested to Lord Ban that he takes you with him to his lands and sees to your education first, before you can return to become a knight."

Lancelot is surprised, and a little touched. "What is he like?" He asks, hesitant this time for a different reason and Arthur grins.

"He's wanted an heir for a while, he adopted a young girl, but he's still been searching for a male heir as well. He was rather delighted when he heard about you, and he's noted for having a similar honor code, only coming to Camelot once every other year to discuss business." Arthur chuckles. "You'll get on just fine."

(Arthur was not exaggerating, the Lord Ban was a rather jovial old man who took care of those under him. "Bit of an old dog, now, set in my ways, and I'm sure you've been raised with your own ways as well, so we'll just have to deal with any problems as they come up, young Lancelot!")

Lancelot only turned back once as he followed the man away from Camelot. _I'll see you both again, Merlin, Arthur._ And maybe by then, he'd be able to answer Arthur without hesitation.

* * *

… **MC _really _likes Lancelot, just so you know. She kept adding on to the one and a half pages I originally wrote, and really, this was more like me being the beta for her. Lancelot's character would not have done well as a knight under Uther, and to save ourselves the angst (which MC cannot write to save her life) we made sure both he and Arthur knew it. Merlin's not to happy about this, but oh well.**

**King Ban of Banoic, or however you spell that, was Lancelot's father in one of the stories, and since there were an excess of kings, I decided to just make him a lord and Lancelot's Patron. Thank you michale329 for your suggestion list! **

**While it's true that only nobles were allowed to be knighted, there were the two exceptions that I mentioned. Nobles could be patrons for a well deserving commoner (or adopt one as a ward, which would fulfill duties required but often did not inherit) or someone could impress the king. It drove me nuts that neither of these options were really considered, and the latter was only hinted at!**

_MC: Again, there was muttering. And insults, and SV has moved from grudging toleration to resigned toleration of Lancelot's existence. Part of it was the utter lack of Merlin (and Arthur) doing anything towards collecting the members of the round table, and she was unimpressed that they didn't have more of the named knights. Again, you don't want to know what she thought of the 5__th__ season._


	11. Gaius

**Quick clarification(s) for anonymous reviewers, anthi35 and catherine10:**

**Anthi35: Morgause and Morganna are BOTH related to Uther and Arthur (admittedly, depending on the stories). A lot of it involves tricking people into sharing a bed, and it gets confusing after a point. However, what I can tell you is that in the original stories, the three only shared a mother (That's right, **_**Ygraine was married to**__**Gorlois**_** before she married Uther- not a plot point I'm using, but neat trivia); from what I can tell of the BBC, it's either the three share a father, which would explain why Uther wanted to get rid of her as a baby and why Morganna didn't know she had a sister; or Morgause and Morganna share a mother while Arthur and Morganna share a father, making Morgause completely unrelated to Arthur and Uther. For purposes of this fic, I have chosen the three sharing a father.**

**Catherine10: Remember Merlin's first chapter? Arthur guides him to Gaius, and then says he has to have dinner with his father. Merlin only knows Arthur's father is in Camelot, a noble and estranged from his son, not that he's the king. He only mentions Arthur's father in Lancelot's chapter because he thinks he is a noble and might have sponsored Lancelot. Also, in Arthur's chapter: he only refers to the king as his father around Gaius, and even then only when it's not official kingdom business (My father wants me for X vs The King has ordered I do Y).**

**More details in story.**

_MC: There was muttering, and cursing, and 'how the jello does no one notice who's a villain in this show?' along with 'Great, hire someone you know nothing about and get rid of the guy who has proven loyal, that's NOT a bad idea, at all.' It got repeated when I showed her episode 1 of season 2. (Yes, she said Jello, she meant to say hell. She does that sometimes, why she prefers writing to speaking.)_

**Gaius**

He wonders sometimes, what happened to them all? When did they fall apart? Ygraine's death had only been the final catalyst in a split that had started much earlier, he thinks, remembering the way Balinor and Agravaine had drifted off once Uther was crowned king. (Or had it been further back, back when they'd had to leave Gorlois and Tristan to almost certain death in that Man's hands?)

Not that Gaius wants to go back to the days fighting battle after battle, always wondering if it was the last time he'd see them leave, or how wondering when they returned how much time before the next skirmish.

He doesn't reminisce to anyone about those days, sometimes he wished he could. Doing so, however, would open old wounds that were finally closing.

Gaius is 20 years older than his little sister Hunith. He'd been there for Merlin's birth and the next few months, before returning and staying in Camelot, though Hunith had written to him often.

Merlin doesn't understand his loyalty to Uther, no one does, not even Gorlois had, during the days of the Purge. Gaius doesn't have the words to explain that Uther was the one that granted him the pardon, he had not sought it out, had not expected it; Uther had simply told Gaius that if he would swear fealty in front of the court and promise to never practice magic, he would never harm him.

Gaius had hated Uther, when they first met; it's not a memory he enjoys, because it involves that Man, the one who would have misused magic to take over all the kingdoms, and Gaius' own gullibility and desperation.

Uther, then, had been more like Morganna now, clever and the most skilled swordsman of his time. The initial forgiveness had only come because they needed a healer for Gorlois. He doesn't even remember when the two had become friends.

His magic is more adept to healing than anything, but he knows more than a few spells to defend himself and his patients. He'd had to learn them, back in those days, where spells best left unsaid were used, killing their casters along with the victims, the druids and creatures of the Old Religion were driven into a frenzy by the way That Man had misused Magic, somehow turning it on itself. (Nimueh would gain a haunted look every time she'd try to explain it, and none of the dragons or dragonlords would give a straight answer. Balinor would just change the subject.)

Ygraine had been the only one of them who had survived the battles and war without losing her sweet nature. Gaius had learned that sometimes there was nothing he could do for those brought to him, save make them more comfortable, Balinor had decided that most people, including fellow dragonlords (and the one lady, she'd been on the other side, though, and no one had bothered explaining her existence) weren't worth talking to, spending more time with Kilgharrah and other dragons; Uther had learned that he could not fight in the front, instead he must be willing to send others to certain death in order to win the day; Nimueh had almost lost her life, finding out how far she could bend the rules and laws of the Old Religion to help them; Tristan had become more and more willing to fight; as had Gorlois, until the birth of Morganna; Vivienne, he remembers, had suffered for her husband's absences, he might have only eyes for her, but that meant nothing when he was eager to leave at the merest hint of a fight; and Agravaine's cheerful and playful nature had turned into something darker.

Loyal he was to Uther, he'd still stood aside and let other's escape: Alice, Balinor, Nimueh … he'd been unwilling to help them, but could not hinder them, and so he'd done nothing.

"Why are you loyal to him?" Nimueh's blue eyes had been accusing as she held up Balinor, weak from his brief but cruel imprisonment. "He'll turn on you, you know he will!"

Balinor murmured in the odd tongue of dragon magic, reaching out to Kilgharrah and sounding almost delirious.

"Get out of here." Gorlois ordered, standing next to him. "The next time we meet, it's as enemies."

Nimueh's eyes had darkened, then. "So be it, but you might want your wife's opinion on this, Gorlois!" And with a flash, she and Balinor were gone.

When Vivienne was revealed to have magic, Gorlois had begged for her life, but Uther had refused any mercy save they could choose how she died.

Gorlois had made him swear to protect the life of Morganna, and the next day, Gaius was called to examine their bodies. The two had drunk poison, and Uther took Morganna as his ward as he promised.

Nimueh then kidnapped Arthur, though at the time they hadn't known that. It was only when Kay mentioned to Bedivere (while being patched up after their brawl with Mercia's knights and time in the dungeons) that he'd seen the servant woman before, around the time Arthur came to them, and wanted to know who she was, that Gaius connected the dots.

He didn't tell Uther, it was bad enough he'd had to tell him that Nimueh had tried to poison the well and might have been behind the attempts to sabotage the treaty, he didn't need to add that as well.

Arthur, at least, has turned out to be more like his mother, despite the fits of temper that are much like Uther's, and the stubbornness in holding a grudge. (Ygraine's loyalty and Uther's stubbornness is a combination that many once feared, and Gaius is especially fearful for what it means for Arthur to have both.) Gaius respects his wishes to not acknowledge the king as his father, but makes sure he acknowledges that he does have a father in Camelot.

(He does not explain the situation to Merlin beyond Arthur being estranged from his father, because Uther the father is a very different man from Uther the King. Besides, that's Arthur's secret to tell when he's ready.)

Uther's always had a temper, made worse by concern for those he cares about. It had taken Ygraine, Gorlois and Gaius to calm him down then, now it's only Gaius, and Gaius is not surprised when Uther dismisses him in favor of a man who will cure his (secret-illegitimate daughter) ward, and does. It is the nature of a king, to reward those that serve him and dismiss those who are not capable at their jobs.

Uther's worst enemy has always been himself, though, so Gaius does not leave when he's told to, and he never will. He swore his loyalty to Uther on a bloodstained battlefield, and no matter what Uther does, Gaius will never break that oath. (Uther knows that, sometimes, when the rage and pain doesn't blind him. He once told Gaius to leave him rather than let Uther take advantage of Gaius's loyalty.)

He can't explain to Merlin or Arthur why he's still loyal to Uther, why he weathers the King's shifting moods when so many others eventually turn on the king. It's the same reason that he didn't obey Uther's orders to kill Morgause when she was born, instead passing her to a lesser priestess that followed Nimueh to raise. Why he keeps Uther's betrayals of Ygraine's love secret, and why he will never tell Morganna the truth of her dreams and parentage. Why he insists Arthur calling Uther father on occasion, while never telling him the truth of what happened to his mother and never explaining to Merlin the reason he's never seen Arthur and his Father together when Merlin questions it.

It's why he scolds Merlin, Arthur, Gwen and Morganna when he discovers they've not only hidden the injured druid boy that the king wishes to kill but are planning to help him escape. Especially Arthur, once they've gotten a chance to speak alone.

"Arthur, you out of all of them know better!" Gaius scowled at the young man, who accompanied him back to his chambers while Merlin went off to get them food.

"Yes. I do. I know Uther would have killed me without a thought if whoever kidnapped me had hidden me in a druid camp." Arthur agreed, and Gaius flinched, recognizing too late he'd said the wrong thing. "Do you know what he said to that? That we were fortunate it didn't happen, and I dwelt too much on the past. I will grant that once, I did just that, but Druids are for the most part peaceful people. They take in children and adults from villages that are destroyed, they will heal even the knights of Camelot, and will disavow those druids that turn to violence against us. It may have cost me my knighthood, and this may end with my imprisonment or banishment, but I will give that boy a fighting chance to survive." Arthur looked at him, a perfect mix of his mother and father, and for a moment, Gaius saw the king he will be. "I'm being foolish, I have so much to lose and little to nothing to gain, and I will most likely not save the boy from execution if he is found in favor of protecting Merlin and Morganna, Gaius, so don't think for a moment I haven't thought this through."

Gaius knows his strength is starting wane. He knows some will view him a coward for not saving the lives of other magic users.

He knows he'll never be able to explain his loyalty and devotion to a King who may one day treat him will and the next order his banishment or execution.

But worst of all, he's not going to be able to explain the feeling he gets when he sees Merlin and Arthur speaking together, and how, perhaps, his long-buried hopes have shifted to them. Uther will always have his loyalty, the loyalty of a servant to a king, but Merlin and Arthur have his love and hopes for the future, the love and hopes that a parent has for their children.

* * *

**Ah, Gaius, I love him. Just not his habits of keeping secrets that have a horrible way of coming out at the absolute wrong time. **

**I skipped over Gates of Avalon, mostly because those two need Arthur as a prince, and that's not well known fact about him. (most just assume he has the same name as the prince, and given the utter lack of perception in the realm of Camelot, it's probably valid.)**

_MC: Yeah, you all were warned about this. SV made my brain hurt with the idea that Gaius is loyal to Uther no matter what, and that he (and Ygraine) were the most loyal to the group. We've also added Vivienne, and Ygraine's brothers Agravaine and Tristan to what I've started calling 'Uther's Round Table'. SV's a big believer in the idea that War changes people, and not always for the better. _

_This isn't the last of the mentioning of 'Uther's Round Table' either. SV's come up with some interesting ideas for them, eventually, 'that man' Gaius does not want to remember will be named, but a cookie to those who guess it (hint: his banner is a white dragon) … We may have to go back and re-do a bit of Nimueh's first chapter. Then again, she might not have interacted much with the three above. Thoughts?_


	12. Mordred

_MC: So, when I introduced SV to Merlin, I showed her the episodes out of order. (Mainly, I showed her the funny, light-hearted and romantic ones, because those were the ones I liked, and this was supposed to be a distraction from her errant plotbunnies.) This has probably contributed to her not wanting to rewrite some episodes and switching around others. Thus, we skip the sidhe for now._

… **I could have lived without the 'romantic' ones. Word of BBC is the man Mordred is with is his father, by-the-by.**

**Mordred**

Camelot is big and beautiful, Mordred almost forgets the danger this place represents, almost.

They needed supplies, and his Father has decided to teach Mordred the best way to interact with towns and cities that have those supplies because he's ten and old enough to start having some responsibility and knowledge dealing with the world outside of their clan.

It goes wrong, and his father shouts in his mind to run and hide as he himself is captured.

Mordred doesn't even feel the pain from the wound he receives as he runs, desperate to find a safe place.

The man that hears him and ushers him into the castle is bright, a brilliant beacon of magic he's only ever heard described in stories. _Emrys_, Mordred realizes, and is hopeful. Emrys will save him, he's supposed to defend magic, stop their persecution. (Well, him and the missing prince, who will be the Once and Future King.) They run to a woman who is a warm glow, just like the priest and priestess that accompanies their clan to keep away evil spirits.

She calls Emrys 'Merlin', and Emrys calls her Lady Morganna, and she hides them both, sending away the guards who knock on her door with annoyance and an air of power that means she's a noble of Camelot.

And yet, Mordred feels he is safe with Emrys and Lady Morganna, and his body has had too much of fear and panic for one day, so the instant his mind decides he's safe, he blacks out.

* * *

When he wakes, it's to a dark room (night, he realizes) and a throbbing arm, and Morganna introduces herself and her maid 'Guinevere, you can call her Gwen', telling him Emrys (Merlin) has gone for help.

Mordred wants to tell her his name, when she asks, but he's too scared that if he opens his mouth, he'll start crying and screaming like a baby. He's in the castle of Camelot, and the castle is where the king lives and there are horror stories about what happens to Druids who are brought to this place (mainly told by some of the older boys to scare the younger ones, much to the disapproval of the adults). Morganna and Gwen look at each other in concern when he doesn't respond, and he lowers his head.

Emrys returns with a blond man, who looks at Morganna and Gwen in annoyance.

"He's dragged you two into this as well? Merlin, you _are_ an idiot." The blond man gives Emrys a satchel, which Emrys just puts on the bed. "You cleaned the wound already?"

"Right, but he's lost a lot of blood, we think, and if I go to Gaius …"

"Don't. It's bad enough you've gotten the ladies into this, I'd like to keep the amount of people committing treason at a minimum, thank you." The blond turns to him, and softens slightly. "I'm Arthur. I need to see your injury."

Mordred hesitates, but this Arthur … Mordred's magic is reaching out to him, in a way he's never felt it reach out before, as if this Arthur is an even safer haven than Emrys and the Lady.

(He is too young, then, to describe the feeling, to understand that his magic recognizes their fates are intertwined, for good or ill, and is reaching out to the steady presence of this man while Mordred is racked in fear and uncertainty. It will be years before someone does, finally explain it, and by then, Mordred will be unwilling to listen.)

"I thought Merlin was Gaius' apprentice?" Gwen asks, looking between Emrys and Arthur.

"Before I was knighted, I occasionally helped Gaius stitch up wounds, not that much different from repairing a saddle or blanket which I've gotten too much practice at because my brother is lazy. Merlin here is still working on his stitch work before Gaius even considers letting him touch a person." Arthur gently takes his arm and removes the bandage, hissing at the sight of the wound. "I'm not going to lie, this is going to hurt … you might want to bite down on this." He gives him a piece of leather that has quite a few sets of teeth marks, and Mordred hesitantly takes it. Emrys goes to stand by the door, and Mordred wonders if he's casting a spell.

"Can't we give him something?" Morganna asks, and Mordred realizes she's sat down behind him, wrapping him up in her arms as she continues, "Surely he's been through enough." Gwen looks through the satchel.

"I've got nothing for him in that bag, Guinevere, he's too small for even the weakest dose I can think of, and he's lost too much blood. You're going to want to give him milk or juice for that." Arthur turns back to him, and looks into his eyes. "I need you to bite down on that piece of leather, alright? There's no shame in tears, if you have to, I've cried myself a few times."

Mordred gives a very curt nod, shoving the leather in his mouth.

It hurts, and Mordred does cry. He tries to jerk out of Morganna's hold, but she holds him tighter, murmuring soothing words, even while tears slip from her own eyes. Arthur is steady, keeping up a commentary of the first time he'd had to stitch himself up because a boar had caught his leg, and he'd fallen down into a shallow ravine that was still deep enough to end up separating him from the other knights for a day. It's over fairly quickly, and Mordred stops crying when Arthur announces he's done. Morganna gently loosens her hold and wipes his eyes with a handkerchief.

"That will do it, but you need to watch for infection." Arthur sits back after putting on a salve and wrapping a new bandage around it. He smiles at Mordred, though it's more a twitch of his lips. "You're a brave little man, you're going to need that and some rest for the next few days, so try and get some sleep." Arthur's hand rests on his head, and for a moment, Mordred remembers being held by his mother while his father ruffles his hair. The moment is gone as Arthur removes his hand, and Mordred is brought back to the cruel present. His mother is gone, her memory starting to fade, and he doesn't know where his father is (he's still alive, Mordred feels, but he can't find him).

* * *

His Father dies in the morning, executed by the king, and Mordred's magic lashes out. He couldn't do _anything_, and now he's alone, and hunted, and Morganna and Merlin have to hide him from the guards again.

Mordred thinks he might hate the King for killing his father- they hadn't done anything wrong!- and angry because Emrys didn't save his father; he's supposed to be their savior, but he did _nothing_. He doesn't dare speak to any of them, not sure what he wants to say, and then he gets sick.

An old man comes to look at him, and he scolds all four for helping him, he'll help this time, he says, but he won't do so again, and Mordred wonders (Children are precious to Druids, they were taught from a young age to look after those younger than them, but here it seems, only these four believe in that, the rest will let him die.). Arthur and Emrys go with the old man, Morganna and Gwen once again stay to watch him.

* * *

Morganna swears nothing will happen, and Mordred knows she tries her best. She's a lady and clearly not familiar with sneaking around and the guards catch them.

Mordred is tossed into a cell, and it scares him. He doesn't want to die, and he knows Morganna is probably in trouble because of him (and what if the king discovers Emrys? That would be Bad) so he just sits, trying to think of something other than the horror stories. He thinks of Morganna and Arthur, and how safe he felt held between them; how his magic reached out to Arthur for comfort; and Gwen's flowers that she brought to show him and cheer him up, and Emrys standing by the door to protect them; and his father telling him how beautiful and strong his mother was. The day passes, and it's night again, and the guards outside his cell switch with two new ones.

There is a jangle of keys, and Arthur is there, opening the door. The guards don't react, and Mordred stares for a moment at Arthur's outstretched hand. "Trust me, we've got to go." Mordred takes his hand, and as Arthur pulls him away, he sees one of the guards wink at him, before standing at attention.

Arthur leads him down several halls, a torch in hand. The exit the tunnel comes to is open, and Arthur extinguishes the torch and discards it before moving the grate back into place. "C'mon, we've got to hurry, they're going to raise the alarm any moment." Arthur puts him onto the horse, swinging up behind him and riding fast. They slow down once Camelot vanishes through the trees, and Mordred finally works up the courage to ask a question.

"Why?" Arthur flinches, and Mordred wonders if he should have remained silent.

"Because Merlin and Morganna wanted to save you, and I owe them both quite a bit." Arthur finally responds. Mordred thinks there's more to it than that. "Which reminds me, we'd like to know your name, since you know ours?"

"… Mordred. My name is Mordred." Mordred says. "Son of Cerdan," he tries, and now, _now_, the tears start despite his attempts to keep them in. Arthur gently tightens his hold.

"I'm sorry, Mordred, we couldn't save you both." He says, and Mordred just presses back into the man who's saved his life, wanting to bury the memories of the past few days. "There's a druid camp nearby, I don't know if it's yours, but they'll be able to get you away from here."

"What'll happen to you?" Mordred asks, remembering the way Arthur had rebuked Emrys, and the old man's scolding of the four for risking the King's wrath if he discovered they helped him. Mordred doesn't want them hurt because they helped him; that would be just as wrong as his father's death.

"Morganna's the king's ward, he's not happy but he won't hurt her. He doesn't notice Guinevere or Merlin, and I actually left Camelot this afternoon with my brother for a hunting trip. How on earth could I have helped you?" Arthur assures him, with a small teasing smile as he asks the question with mock confusion, and Mordred smiles through the tears. "Don't worry about us, Mordred, just stay out of trouble, alright?"

The Priest and Elder that met him are from his tribe, and Arthur requests that they never say his name, which baffles Mordred, before he remembers that Arthur has risked his life to help him, and if the king learns it was Arthur, he might kill him.

Before Arthur leaves, Mordred gives in to one last impulse. He hugs Arthur. "Thank you Arthur." Arthur hesitantly wraps him in a hug, and it's not a perfect match, but it is close enough that Mordred can pretend his father is giving him one last hug. "I won't forget you."

"Likewise, Mordred, take care." Arthur tightens the hug a moment, kisses the top of his head, and then mounts and rides off as the Priest and Elder lead him back to their camp. As they wake everyone to pack and move, as a precaution against the knights attacking them, Mordred has a very odd thought.

Someday, when the Once and Future king takes the throne, he wants to be a knight like Arthur.

* * *

**Mordred's part of the round table in pretty much every version he's in. Mordred also started out as an **_**unrelated**_** person to both Arthur and Morganna. (In the earliest mentions of him being related to Arthur, he's first the son of Arthur's no-longer-existent-full-sister Anna and her husband, and then **_**Morgause**_**. He doesn't become Morgan le Fay and Arthur's son until, well, after the middle ages and the French.) More on Mordred later.**

**Ideally, Knights knew how to at least patch up their own gear, if not how to actually fix it. Especially true of those that started out as pages/stable boys like our dear Arthur, and would know basic first aid to patch themselves up, usually shoving herbs or putting on a salve and wrapping it. I have no idea when people started using stitches, but the Roman Army (again, historical trivia that's slightly relevant) had the best doctors anywhere- in fact, Roman Soldiers had longer life expectancies than most civilians back in Rome, because their army doctors had seen enough mutilated bodies to know where the important organs were while the docs in Rome would suggest ways to get rid of the evil spirits causing illness. And as mentioned before, Rome did reach Briton/Albion before Arthur's time. And the middle ages had some advancements (and back tracking) in medicine too … So, it's not that big of a stretch, right? **

_MC: Yay, more useless trivia that you somehow know despite it being over a decade since you took the class you learned that in. (SV scares me sometimes.)_

_So, the alert reader will notice things happened a little differently, and are probably wondering what was happening with the guards and where was Merlin- Those guards were Dinadan and Alexander (The Orphan is the latter's title, by the way, he probably felt bad for Mordred) and Merlin was with Sir Kay getting an earful about endangering Morganna and Guinevere (and Arthur, in a very roundabout way). Uther will be told Mordred was rescued by a druid who knocked out the guards with a sleeping spell, and oh, Morganna won't get a threat to her life, because Uther thinks she was manipulated into feeling protective by a druid and was a victim of sorcery that made her feel extremely maternal for Mordred. (Yay for period sexism!) _


	13. Hunith

**Quick Reply to catherine10: Certain chapters will be more 'story like' with multiple POVs. Character Introductions and introspections slice-of-life-in-Camelot will still be in the same style as previous. The episodes referenced here haven't been all that dramatically changed from season 1 canon so far is the main reason I'm not re-writing everything; that's going to change soon, though. (The story is mainly me experimenting with a different style.)**

**Kilana89: Morganna vs. Morgana vs. Morgan- It depends on the translator's preference, it's the same name, however, just different spellings. Her and Morgause tend to get combined a lot, along with Nimueh. (You want a real headache, look up all the names they give Nimueh's character- bear in mind, most spell it without the 'h' at the end.)**

_MC: Initially, this was going to be Merlin or Arthur again. Then Hunith stepped up and insisted on being given her own chapter for this one._

**Hunith**

It's the hardest decision she ever had to make, sending Merlin to Gaius in Camelot. She could have just as easily been sending her son to his death.

Hunith reminds herself that it had been necessary, crucial even, that Merlin find a better outlet for his powers than the jokes that Will talked him into doing. Gaius, for all he'd often been absent from her life while a child, had been the only person with magic she could think of that would be trustworthy enough to protect Merlin and not use her son's gift for his own gain.

Well, there'd been one other, but it had been for her safety that he had left her before she could tell him she was pregnant, and she didn't know where to begin looking. It had been a surprise that, rather than shunning her, the rest of the village had treated her as they always had, acting as if the man had just died rather than run away.

Will had not taken her sending Merlin away with any sort of grace. The two were the only ones of the same age, the rest much younger or had grown up already, and Will just didn't get on with many others. Part of it stemmed from the pranks the boy did (even without Merlin's magic, Will didn't seem able to stop causing trouble) as many had been close to malicious, but the other part ... Will just didn't make an effort to interact with others.

Hunith had only been to Camelot once, when her brother had been made the Court Physician. It's more populated now, and a maid points her in the correct direction to find Gaius.

She finds her son and a blond young man moving a table.

"Why, exactly, does Gaius need this moved? He's never moved it as long as I've lived here!" The blond complains.

"Apparently, he's adding a second work bench, it's going to be longer than the one I set fire too."

"You set it on fire?"

"I didn't mean too!" Merlin mutters, and the blond rolls his eyes.

"Honestly Merlin, I've heard that God watches out for idiots, but he must be at his wits end with you."

"Here I thought he watched out for Prats and their oversized egos!" Merlin shoots back, and then yelps. "Arthur! You dropped it on my foot!"

"Idiot, I didn't drop it, you did!" The blond, Arthur, still shoves his weight against the table so Merlin can pull his foot out, and quickly catches Merlin's arm to pull him to one of the benches they still have to move. Merlin, busy hopping on foot, overbalances and sends them both to the ground.

Hunith laughs, and the two look at her. "I'm sorry, I was looking for Gaius and Merlin."

"Mother?" Merlin blinks at her, and grins, accidentally shoving Arthur back to the ground in his haste to get to her. "Mother! It's good to see you! How are you?"

Hunith hugs her son, relieved that he's alright and seems to be flourishing in Camelot despite the danger. "I'm alright, it's good to see you, too. Who's your friend?" Merlin hasn't written her, and she's a little relieved that he's apparently been making friends.

"This is Arthur, training master and huntsman, Arthur, this is my mother, Hunith of Ealdor." Merlin quickly introduces, and Arthur bows politely.

"My lady, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Hunith smiles, "I'm not a lady, I'm afraid, please just call me Hunith."

Arthur smiles and gives a slight nod, but Hunith catches the way he looks at her and Merlin with some envy out of the corner of her eye when her attention is called back to her son.

(She's seen that look before, when Camelot's war was in full swing, there had been several refugees that had fled to Ealdor, and looked at the whole families with that same look of longing.)

Gaius arrives, and as the four settle down to eat, Hunith explains why she's come to Camelot.

"Bandits have been attacking, we need help, and Cenred isn't one to care about such a small village." Hunith explains, and Arthur and Gaius both frown out that.

"I can get you an audience with the king, of course, but Camelot and Cenred's kingdom are not on good terms." Gaius starts, but Arthur shakes his head.

"That won't do any good. The King won't send any knights beyond our borders, doing so would be seen as an act of war by Cenred, or at least an attempt to spy on him." Arthur holds up a hand, stopping Merlin. "It's not that he won't sympathize with your plight, but he won't send aid or food to a village in another kingdom as long as there's a risk of war."

"But there has to be something!" Merlin objects, and Arthur gives him an annoyed look.

"I said the king wouldn't help, idiot, I know at least two knights that wouldn't mind going on an extended hunting trip with you, Lady Hunith and me."

Hunith watches as Merlin gives a brief nod of his head, looking at Arthur apologetically, while Arthur's eyes glitter in amusement, giving a brief nod in return before turning back to the discussion. It's an entirely wordless discussion, and Hunith is surprised, mostly because of how quickly the two move on from the brief disagreement.

"We'll need food for six people then, Kay eats too much, and I'm not convinced it's because of his height." Merlin rolls his eyes, and Arthur snorts.

"You'll have to let Morganna and Guinevere know why we're leaving, by the way." Arthur adds, lips twitching into a small wry smile.

"Me? I'm probably lame after you dropped the table on my foot!"

"Would you rather be the one to find Kay and Bedivere?"

Hunith looks at Gaius in confusion, mostly because this time, the disagreement dissolves into Arthur grabbing Merlin into a headlock. Gaius chuckles.

"They do that, one minute, respectable adults, the next, squabbling children, it is worse when Kay is around." He murmurs to her.

Hunith wonders if Gaius has any idea how reluctant Merlin was to touch people in Ealdor- not even Will had elicited this sort of horseplay from him. (Perhaps she shouldn't say 'reluctant to touch' more like he had been reluctant to be touched by anyone other than her. He was fine giving it, would tolerate it from Will and some of the younger children, but he was never like this, so open …)

"Boys, finish your lunch!" Hunith has to push that odd revelation to the side, though, and keep the conversation on track. Both of them obeyed, and Merlin muttered that it was Arthur who started it.

Hunith meets the two knights Arthur mentioned at dinner that night. Kay turns out to be a bear of a man, she has to tilt her head to look up at him, who cheerfully explains that he calls Merlin 'Ears' and Arthur 'Wart' and that he thought Hunith looked like Merlin's older sister instead of his mother.

Bedivere is closer to Arthur in height, and is far quieter than Kay. He agrees readily to go with them, and promises Arthur he'll make the necessary arrangements.

Dinner is also when she meets Morganna and Guinevere, who are both polite young women (Gwen is apparently Morganna's maid, and Hunith is unsure of what to make of Morganna) who listen to their plans with occasional glances and then inform Arthur they're coming along too.

* * *

She sees it right away as they enter Ealdor and notices something else when Arthur takes charge, rallying the village into training for their own defense, that Merlin follows with advice and suggestions based on his knowledge of the village and their farms. Sees it again as Kay and Bedivere, despite being older, defer to the two, and again with Gwen and Morganna waiting until after they suggest their idea to them before they begin training the women.

Merlin has outgrown Ealdor and its small concerns. He and Arthur are meant to stand together, like two sides of the same coin.

She's not the only who notices these things. Will does too, and he does not accept the change in Merlin, does not accept the way Merlin cares for knights who are honor bound to turn him in if he ever uses magic in front of them.

"Will is Merlin's best friend, right?" Arthur asks her as he helps her with the dishes after lunch, the others having gone to their appointed tasks, but his eyes are focused on the two arguing by the fence.

"I suppose you could say that, they grew up together and played together." Hunith doesn't look at them, she studies Arthur instead. "Why do you ask?"

"He knows about Merlin's, uh, condition, that you sent him to Gaius for help with?" Arthur asks, this time looking a little uncomfortable. Hunith freezes, because Merlin's magic is supposed to be secret. Arthur quickly takes the plate and grips her hands. "Sorry, I was trying to be discreet, I swear, I'd never let anything happen to him, even if it costs my life."

"It's alright, and yes, Will does. They used to, uh, take advantage of it for pranks." Hunith admits, and Arthur tilts his head. "They got to be too elaborate, and I feared it would attract attention if the wrong person heard of it. They knew of the danger, I warned them, but …"

"The idiot couldn't stop breathing if he wanted to, right?" Arthur's use of Merlin's analogy makes her smile. "Would it affect Merlin, if Will chooses not to fight?"

"You think he won't?"

"I help train knights for the King. I've seen more than a few like Will, it's hard to tell sometimes, when the push comes, whether or not they'll fight. I won't have anything to do with them, because I need to know if the person I'm training will stand and fight with me." Arthur shakes his head. "Sometimes, they prove to me that they're worthy to be a knight. But that uncertainty in a comrade can be certain death."

"You see Will as a liability?" Hunith is a little surprised, more because this version of Arthur is less like the young man that grabs Merlin in a headlock and more like a battle weary knight, far older than his years, than his frank assessment of Will.

"For the town, and perhaps for Merlin." Arthur grimaces. "Don't tell him I said that? I know I can't tell him who to be friends with, but I'm concerned."

"Will's rough around the edges, but he does care for Merlin." Hunith defends her son's best friend, and Arthur just nods, accepting her words before going out to help with the town's defense.

Later that night, it's Merlin helping her with the dishes as Morganna and Gwen have fallen sleep curled up together on a pallet, Kay and Bedivere having decided to sleep in the shed and Arthur is out on a patrol.

"Will thinks Arthur will turn me in to save his own hide." Merlin says, softly, and more than a little sad. "I don't understand why he's acting like this, Arthur's a good man, we have to defend our home, they're just as at risk as the rest of the village for dying and it's not even their home."

Hunith studies her son, his eyes aren't on her, but looking out into the dark, as if searching for Arthur.

"You left Merlin." Hunith gently reminds him. "Will stayed. You've seen and done things Will hasn't, and will probably never do. This is a small village, many here only care about this place. Will … cares about you, but he doesn't understand, perhaps, the need to take risks that might not pay off, that might hurt him."

It was the difference between Arthur and Will, really. Arthur looked out for a group, able, no matter how much he might have disliked it, to risk a few for the sake of all. Will would rather protect just one or two, and risk nothing. The difference between seeing the forest or a tree.

"I guess I hoped they'd get along." Merlin admits, and Hunith wraps her arms around her son. It was painful, realizing things had changed, even if you hadn't thought they would. Merlin returns the embrace before going out after Arthur.

* * *

The battle comes the next day, fierce and swift, and Hunith almost feels sorry for the poor bandit that tried attacking her and was instead introduced to the shovel Gwen wielded. A large whirlwind blows through the bandits, and Hunith quickly pushes the young woman down as more than a few things go flying through the air.

Will is dying, the only fatal wound, the bandits having had more numbers than they had weapons, and Hunith hears Will tell Arthur he was the one who conjured the whirlwind, he says it loud enough that almost everyone close can hear, as if desperate to protect Merlin. Arthur leans forward to whisper in Will's ear, and she doesn't know what he says to Will, but the young man smiles up at him. Merlin finally stumbles forward, dropping to his knees, and looking completely and utterly lost.

"Don't worry, I may not have magic, but I'll look after our idiot." Arthur says louder, and Will grins. Hunith watches him say good-bye to Merlin, and when his body stills, Hunith sees Arthur briefly lean to brush against Merlin as he stands, taking charge of the cleanup.

Gwen hurries past her, but she goes to Arthur, not Merlin, while the Lady Morganna goes to Merlin, crouching briefly to close Will's eyes, before waving over Sir Bedivere who gently lifts Will's body. Hunith goes to her son, who seems stricken, lost as they take Will to his home.

She pulls him to their (slightly damaged) home, and Merlin cries into her shoulder.

There's nothing she can say that will make this situation better, so she just holds him as he mourns.

They construct a pyre for Will that afternoon, Arthur gives Merlin the torch, before saying something that makes Hunith smile.

"The bodies of Knights are often burned after a battle, to keep any from plundering or damaging their bodies. It is a bitter irony, however, to do the same to one of the few good magic users in the world. We owe William our lives, and though We cannot tell the full story, he will be known as a brave warrior who died defending his home." Merlin lights the pyre, and Hunith watches as Arthur stands behind Merlin, along with the others, offering their silent support.

* * *

That night is a somber one, before Merlin suddenly raises his head to look at Arthur.

"What did you say to Will, that made him smile?"

"Hm?" Arthur blinks, before waking up to answer. "Oh, I told him I'd use his favorite prank in Camelot in his honor." Morganna chokes on her water, and Sir Bedivere looks at Arthur in horror. Kay, however, grins and sits up eagerly. "He requested the King, naturally, but it might be difficult to do so directly."

"… That involes making someone think their room is haunted …" Merlin says, and glances at Gwen.

"Well, it would be rude not to. But, Arthur, did you mean it when you said there were good magic users?" Gwen looks at Arthur in curiosity.

"Magic's similar to a sword, Guinevere, the wielder's intentions matter. I can't change the king's mind and make a revision to the ban, but I can turn a blind eye to the actions of those who use magic to help those in need." Arthur sighed.

"… Same for us, really, and if you won't repeat that, Kitten, I'll win every single tournament I fight in your honor." Kay added, looking at Morganna who was looking at Arthur in amazement.

"I can't repeat that, I'd have to admit to Uther I helped that boy escape because I thought it was wrong to kill a child, not that I was 'enchanted' to do so." Morganna admits, and Bedivere coughed.

"Sorry, I drifted off, now, about this prank, there's a hall the servants claim to be haunted." He changes the subject, and Hunith smiles.

Merlin has a future in Camelot with friends that will help him. It's more than she ever hoped for when she sent him to Gaius in the first place, and it's more than enough.

* * *

_MC: *sniggers* Oh, you guys are missing out on SV's commentary for certain eps. SV insisted this episode should have had a different title, like 'Homecoming' 'Can't Go Home Again' or 'Not A Moment of Truth'/'Missed Opportunity'. Maybe SV ought to do a review series on YouTube … _

**Yeah no. Bad enough my friends are thinking of doing a 'Drink and Play' video game series, just to show the odd noises and comments his girlfriend and I make while drinking wine and trying to play videogames (I'm bad at them normally, the wine just makes me giggly and snarky, though it also improves my game play). **

**I wasn't impressed with this ep. I think my words were 'What moment of truth? There were several that waved as they passed by!' MC found that hilarious for some reason, we had to wait for her to be able to breathe again to watch the next one.**


	14. Guinevere

**Here's Guinevere's chapter, next chapter will cover the season 1 finale and have multiple POVs. It will also take longer to write, on that note.**

_MC: And longer to edit. Playing around with the whole Leon/Lionel thing, SV decided to make it Sir Leon, 'son of Sir Lionel, who unfortunately had his deeds ascribed to his father as time wore on, because really, their names are similar' … _

**Guinevere**

Guinevere's life is ending, flashing before her eyes, and it's odd the way her mind goes to things that are so unimportant to this horrible moment.

She grew up playing in the home of a noble, learning how to be a maid from her mother, and playing with Leon as either the damsel in distress or his warrior-wife. Once upon a time, they might have been convinced they were going to marry, it was certainly better, they had informed their mothers, than marrying a stranger.

Leon's father, Sir Lionel, had left the room, and it was the only time they'd ever heard his booming laughter.

Of course, those games of childhood had remained in the past as they grew up, their mothers dying of fever one year, and Sir Lionel getting her a post in the castle of Camelot while he sent Leon to train to be a knight.

Her father was a blacksmith, and for a while had traveled around with her brother to make ends meet while her mother and her worked for Sir Lionel, before settling down in Camelot.

She very quickly took on her mother's role in the family, cooking and cleaning after days spent in the castle doing much the same, and Elyan eventually grew to resent it. He left to become a traveling blacksmith again, and though her father had been upset at the rift between them, he had let them have their own way.

Becoming Morganna's personal maid had come with a pay raise, and Morganna was honestly the nicest lady she had ever waited on. Guinevere had sworn never to tell a soul about how bad Morganna's nightmares left her, and it cost her nothing to hold her and reassure her that she was safe. While Guinevere never forgot her place, it became clear that Morganna was easily the sister she could have had.

* * *

Sir Arthur she had seen once, prior to becoming Morganna's Maidservant, he'd been a squire then, and had spent his off day with her father helping repair his and his brother's armor. She'd seen him leaving the forge, tired and dirty and carrying most of the armor back up to the castle.

"Good boy, that one, willing to work." Her Father had mentioned over soup that night. "Whoever becomes his wife won't have to worry about being penniless if he loses his title, he'll just pick up a trade." He showed her the knife Arthur had forged. "Balance is a bit off, but it's good for a first forge."

"You start apprentices on nails and spikes." Guinevere had blinked. It was how she and Elyan had started helping him, nails and spikes were always needed in mass quantities, and for a squire with no knowledge, a knife was ambitious.

"He'd bled on the steel." Her father had mentioned, and Guinevere had nodded, remembering the many superstitions that he'd taught her as a child. "Figured he ought to know how a weapon is made, get some appreciation for the ones he has to use."

Arthur had been fairly friendly to her father, but she had never spoken to him directly or at length, nor had he spoken to her.

Then, after she became Morganna's maid, that started to change, because Morganna spent more than was technically proper time with him and his brother. Even after Arthur was placed on probation for defying the King (an act that had more than one servant, guard and knight discretely helping the young man, even though they didn't know what exactly had happened. Arthur was well liked by all those his age and younger, and more than few older staff who'd approved of him being more than just another noble bootlicker) Morganna made sure to spend at least a few hours a day with him and his brother.

Sir Kay was taller than his brother, and she already had to look up to meet Arthur's eyes. Sir Kay also apparently lumped people into two categories 'siblings' and 'people to protect siblings from'.

Guinevere still has no idea how he came up with 'Dove' for her nickname. Morganna had explained that Sir Kay thought she resembled a kitten with her eye color and habit of watching people from high places, and Arthur's nickname of Wart was either Kay's misinterpretation of his brother's name, or Kay just cheerfully being annoying to his younger brother (No one was sure which, Kay himself would rattle one or the other reason no matter who asked and just ignored if he told different stories to the same person).

[In fact, the only person he hadn't nicknamed that went into 'sibling' category was Bedivere, who just looked resigned at her when she'd asked on their way back from Ealdor. "He's still working on it, apparently. I'm terrified." He'd said it with a straight face and a resigned amusement, apparently still waiting for the day Kay gave him a nickname that was as embarrassing as the rest of his 'brothers'. (In fairness, the first thing Guinevere thought when she saw Merlin was 'Cute, ears are a little big' and she will never admit that.)]

When Merlin arrived, though, things changed. Instead of the polite, but teasing, distance, Guinevere began to take part, offering suggestions and being surprised when Arthur would listen and seriously consider what she said.

The fact the trio worked hard to prove that she was innocent of sorcery had touched her, and while it had apparently been done to tease Arthur, the fact he had given her a hug at all had been … sweet. It had been awkward, as if he'd been terrified that he'd hurt her, but he'd been so careful and gentle that the hug had felt like so much more than the ones Morganna, Merlin and even Sir Kay had given her.

She has to convince herself she read too much into it, though. While it might be permissible for nobles to flirt with maids, courtship with intent for a relationship was out of their reach. (She damns Morganna on occasion, for planting the idea in her mind. She does not fancy Arthur!)

* * *

Everything had been fine, returning from Ealdor, Arthur had escorted her home while Morganna had gone with Merlin to get a sleeping draught from Gaius, worried her nightmares were starting up again, but assuring Guinevere she could make it through the night without her.

It had been a peaceful couple of weeks. Her Father had been in a good mood, happy that she had returned safely, and then …

Some new blankets to replace the ones that were starting to go beyond the realm of being repaired and still functional as blankets, a new hair clip, and two new dresses. They'd never been able to afford them before, and despite being proved innocent, some of their well paying customers had taken their business elsewhere after her being accused of magic, making money harder to earn.

How could her father have done this? He'd known he was risking his life if it was found out, and it had been; Uther had wasted no time in condemning him to death. Morganna had tried to convince the king that the sorcerer that healed him had used it as leverage to get his compliance, but Uther was adamant that her father's not reporting such a thing was the same as him doing the magic himself. The only thing Morganna's intercession had done was grant him a quick death by beheading instead of being burned on a pyre. Morganna had been grief stricken as she explained, and swore she would never dismiss Guinevere (unless she wanted to leave, Morganna had managed, but she'd never dismiss her in disgrace), that she would look after her as Guinevere did for her.

Guinevere had intended to watch, when her thoughts went haywire as the axe came down, and someone wrapped her in an embrace when the thud of the axe into wood pulled her back to the moment her life as she knew it was over. The someone didn't let her look at the body, instead pulling her away as the cart came to collect her father's body.

She sobbed into his shirt, breaking down the moment he'd stopped moving. "What do I do now?"

"Grieve, then keep living." Guinevere was almost startled to hear Arthur's voice, but she didn't pull away. Didn't want to, because then she'd have to face the reality that she was on her own. She wasn't even sure where Elyan was right now, last she heard, he'd gone to work in another kingdom. "I, I can't promise you anything, Guinevere, there's nothing I can do now to make this right, but, I'm here, if you ever need anything. The others, too, you're not without people that care and will look out for you."

"Thank you." Guinevere murmured, touched. "Could you, do one thing for me right now?"

"Of course." His arms loosened, and whatever she was going to say went out of her mind, she wasn't ready just yet to face the world.

"Hold me for a little longer?" She didn't look up, didn't see his expression, but his arms wrapped around her again without hesitation, tightening gently as if he was holding her safe from the rest of the world.

"As you wish, My Lady." He murmured, and they stayed like that for a while.

* * *

The moment still ended all too soon, and Arthur had given her his handkerchief before escorting her to the laundry, leaving her with a small smile and nod of his head. No one was speaking to her, and she tried to run through all the things she needed to do now, but her mind kept going back to the hug. When she went to Morganna to tend to her, she wondered if she had made him uncomfortable. She mentioned it to Morganna, but Morganna wasn't the one that responded.

"Arthur hugged you?!" Merlin gaped at her. "Has he hugged you?" He asked Morganna, and Morganna gave a small smile. Guinevere realized they were trying to make her feel better, and that they were making the effort at all was helpful.

"A few times, they're never very long, I think the closest he normally gets to hugs is Kay grabbing him into headlocks or throwing him around."

"Oh, do you think I made him uncomfortable then?"

"He wouldn't have done it if he was uncomfortable. Trust me, I've seen him when he's uncomfortable, he's stands like a statue or takes a step back." Merlin informs her, and then pauses, apparently realizing he was talking about his best friend's hugs with a couple of girls, before shrugging. "I make a joke about hugs, he puts me into a headlock or shoves me into Kay. I thought 'Oh, that's what the prat thinks hugs are supposed to be', and just ignored it."

"Well, I've probably used up my allowance of hugs from him, then, if he only does it so sparingly." Guinevere meant to laugh, but ended up sobbing instead. "Sorry, I just,"

"It's alright, Gwen, I'm amazed you're not upset at Uther, though …" Morganna sounded so confused, and Guinevere wondered if she was upset with Uther on her behalf, Guinevere probably should thank her for the attempt at changing Uther's mind.

"There's no point, even if I could, I don't want to waste my time." Guinevere wiped her eyes. "I heard once, that the best revenge was living well, I think, I think I'll do that."

"That sounds kind of hard."

"I don't want to lose what I have left to Uther." Guinevere takes both of their hands, and smiles. "Thank you, for all you did."

"It didn't change much." Morganna murmurs, and pulls her into a hug. "We just have to live well, yes?"

"Yes." Merlin leaves them, and Guinevere wonders why Morganna goes quiet, as if thinking. She leaves for dinner with the king early, taking a small pouch with her, but Guinevere doesn't ask what it is. She's too busy setting up her small bed in her small room, not quite ready to face her empty home.

Her life has been utterly changed, and yet the last thing on her mind as she falls asleep is the way Arthur had shielded her from the death of her father, and the feel of his arms around her.

* * *

**So, I guess I'm technically an 'Arwen' shipper, and MC is a 'GuineverexLancelot' shipper (what is the ship name for that?) *Shrugs* I write pairings based on how believable I think the pairing is. Lancelot's barely even there in Merlin, and the whole thing is less 'first love' than 'serious crush'.**

_MC: Yeah, the one thing we don't agree on, who gets Guinevere. I will concede that, as far as the stories go, having Merlin suddenly pop up and say to Arthur 'by the way, Guinevere's destined for Lancelot' after quite a while of them being fairly happily married (despite being arranged!), instead of just having Guinevere fall for Lancelot while Arthur's away at war, was a bit of a deus ex machina. But that's the only thing I concede, I still think it's a believable pairing._

_MOVING ON! _

**Yeah, we'd be here a while. Anyway…**

'**What about Morganna's plot?' you ask? Well, we removed a lot of the necessary tension between her and Uther in Mordred's episode/chapter, so that's gonna have to wait for our version of series 2 and 3, which is where things start changing so much that the only things in series 4 that stay, roughly, the same are the beginning and finale (and even those are different!) **

**Next Chapter: Life, Death and Destiny!**


	15. Life & Death and Destiny I

**One of a few multi pov chapters planned.**

_MC: She's thinking of doing canon centric stories with just the character pov, and multi-pov for those that go way off canon of the show and legend. Yes, certain parts of the legends she's considering canon/slice of life plots that might not have been in the show proper. Michale329, I am blaming you for this, and if SV wasn't so glad you sent the suggestions which helped her come up with a good chunk of the story, I'd be doing something very mean to you right now!_

**I wouldn't worry about that, Michale329, her idea of 'very mean' is hiding your favorite ice cream behind something else in the freezer. Thanks again!**

**Life &amp; Death and Destiny**

Hunting trips were one of the few times Sir Bedivere felt that Arthur honestly relaxed around the other knights. It had been something he'd noticed after the other being stripped of his title- Arthur just didn't relax around them anymore, he'd somewhat withdrawn and despite the majority still holding him in high esteem, Arthur didn't trust them enough to relax. Bedivere would have blamed Sir Leon for this, but the other hadn't been on the mission that Arthur had gotten in trouble, and the younger knight was honestly not one to sabotage another by lying.

Merlin's arrival had changed that, giving Arthur someone he could relax around when Sir Kay and Bedivere were on duty. It was probably why Kay had accepted the younger man so quickly as a little brother.

Of course, Merlin now often accompanied Arthur everywhere it seemed, and Merlin was really not much of a hunter. Or capable of moving about the woods without making noise or getting hit by a tree.

"Idiot, at this rate you'll scare everything off."

"I'm not that bad!"

"Ears, you're that bad. Why do you even come on these trips if you don't like them?"

"Gaius wants him to get some more practice on tending wounds in the field, we discussed this not that long ago." Bedivere stopped what was going to be another legendary argument that would give Sir Gareth and Sir Griflet whiplash with how quick Arthur went from yelling at Merlin to defending the physician's apprentice from Kay, often in the same breath.

"Did you hear that?" Merlin lifted his head, and the knights moved forward.

The beast was large, a snake-like head on a spotted and furry body, and extremely aggressive. It snapped the spear that Gareth threw at it before charging.

Being the brave and more importantly, intelligent, knights that they were, they unanimously decided to retreat. Someone watching might have confused it for an everyman for himself sort of scramble, but they were very aware when Merlin fell, and so Arthur, Bedivere, Gareth, and Kay quickly doubled back to pull him up, and then didn't stop running until Arthur skidded to a stop, doing a quick headcount as he realized someone had not kept up.

"Who are we missing?" Merlin asked.

"Where's Sir Gareth?" Arthur turned, and a scream that briefly mixed with a roar before cutting off answered the question. "We need to get back to Camelot and warn the people and the King." Arthur ordered in the sudden silence that followed.

"What about Sir Gareth?" Merlin asked, and Arthur looked at him.

"Whatever that thing is, it's fast and dangerous, we need to limit the amount of people that it can hurt." Arthur didn't want to say this, and not one of the knights blamed him. "We'll have to come back for his body later, but we will come back." Merlin gave a short nod, and they quickly moved back to their camp, saddling their horses and riding to Camelot with all haste.

(As they rode to Camelot, a man dressed in black was riding to the Isle of the Blessed, having been able to recognize from a distance the creature that killed the knight of Camelot.)

The King listened to their report, and it was Gaius who gave an identity to the monster that had killed Sir Gareth.

Whatever more Gaius was going to say was halted by the King holding up his hand, and turning to the one person who he had previously ignored.

"Sir Arthur!" The King said, and everyone froze as the king acknowledged the former knight by his title. "You will lead the knights in the hunt for this beast. Succeed and your past transgression will be forgotten. Sir Kay and Sir Bedivere are not to accompany you. Go now."

"As you command, my King." Arthur bowed and left. Merlin tried to follow, but Arthur disappeared rather quickly, much to Merlin's and Sir Kay's annoyance.

"The King's going to give Arthur his knighthood back, that's a good thing, right?" Merlin looked at Sir Kay, who was scowling.

"Honestly, I'd have been happier if he'd continued ignoring Wart's existence." Merlin was utterly baffled by Kay's anger, and just stood there as Kay stalked off to find his brother. Bedivere came up next to him.

"You better go get ready, Arthur's going to need you." Bedivere murmured, and noticed Merlin's questioning look. "I can handle Kay, but Arthur listens more to you than any of us, save the Lady Morganna."

Merlin nodded, and left to gather supplies.

"I'm going with Arthur, Bedivere thinks he'll need me." Merlin explained to Gaius, who had a book in hand when he'd entered their chambers, and had called his name when he noticed who entered. Merlin had quickly begun explaining as he restocked his knapsack. "I'd have gone anyway, Arthur's the only friend I've got, and despite what that dragon says, I care more about him than whatever destiny I'm supposed to have." Merlin muttered, annoyed by the reminder that technically, he was supposed to become best friends with the missing prince who was supposed to be hiding somewhere in Camelot, unless the dragon was referring to him being somewhere in the kingdom, and not in the city.

"Then you might want to listen to me, it's better to know as much about your enemy as possible before attacking him." Gaius put the book down. "At the heart of the Old Religion is the power over life and death itself. The questing beast is a creature of the old religion, meant to foreshadow a great upheaval or change. One bite from the beast is all it takes to kill a man, there is no cure." Merlin looked at the drawing, studying the creature's description. "The last time it was confirmed to be seen was before the Great Purge. There were rumors of it around the time the prince was kidnapped, but no confirmation. Merlin, you must be careful, the Old Religion follows its own laws and rules, and does not bend them for anyone."

"I will." Merlin promised, more focused on protecting Arthur than himself. He joined Arthur in the courtyard, and though he'd seen the other wear chainmail before, Arthur had never looked more like a knight as he addressed the knights that he was to lead.

* * *

_Arthur is going to die. _Morganna rushed to find him, heedless of Gwen's calls for her to slow down and explain, and ignoring the looks she received for being still in her nightgown. She finally spotted him in the courtyard, addressing the knights. He was like a brother to her in every way that mattered, and one of her few true friends.

"Morganna, what's wrong? Why are you-?" Arthur held her as she almost collapsed.

"You can't go, Arthur! Don't go! You'll die, it'll kill you, you can't go, please, brother, don't go!" Morganna knew she was babbling something awful, but she didn't care if she was making a scene, or how she sounded, she could not let Arthur die!

Arthur believed her, she could see it, and hoped for a wild moment he would agree to stay, but then his eyes filled with regret and sorrow and she realized what he was going to say before he opened his mouth.

"The King has given me my orders, I cannot disobey him again." His hands tightened for a moment, and his voice lowered. "I'm sorry, Morganna." That sounded too much like good-bye.

"No, Arthur, don't!" Morganna had to convince him to ignore the king, she didn't care about the stupid rules he was honor-bound to obey, she wanted Arthur to live, damn the king and the kingdom! But Arthur gently pushed her into the arms of Merlin, still giving that look of regret and sorrow (and farewell, and that was the worst of all) and turned back to the knights. "Merlin, please, you can't let him do this! He'll die." Merlin looked at her as he guided her up the stairs.

"I won't let that happen, Morganna, I swear it." Gwen met them at the top of the stairs, wrapping her in a cloak, and pulling her back inside. This wasn't enough!

"No, Gwen, give Arthur a favor, something he has to return! Tell him he can't die!" The stupid superstition was the only thing Morganna could think of- Knights with a Lady's favor were honor bound to return to that Lady whatever she asked, and would not die until it was complete. Gwen wasn't technically a lady, but Morganna didn't care, she didn't have anything to give Arthur, which temporarily confused her, she hadn't noticed she wasn't dressed properly. She didn't notice the two guards who came and supported her as Gwen ran down the stairs.

Guinevere stopped Arthur before he mounted up, not sure why she was listening to Morganna's hysterics, she wasn't the first noble lady to have a hysterical fit that Guinevere had witnessed; but those were almost always over petty things, and Morganna had never had a hysterical fit for as long as she'd known her.

"Guinevere, watch over Lady Morganna."

"I'll do that, my lord, as long as you promise to take this favor and return alive." Guinevere only had the faded red hair ribbon in her hair to give him, so she quickly pulled it out and wrapped it above his right elbow. "Please."

Arthur looked at her in surprise, one hand touching the ribbon, before he took her hand and kissed it. "On my honor, then, My Lady." He mounted and barked an order to his knights, before riding out at the head of the column. Guinevere watched him go with an odd ache in her heart, before turning to run back up the stairs to tend her Lady; her hair, now free of its confines, briefly obscured her vision.

* * *

"What on earth was that?" Alexander looked at Dinadan as the maidservant escorted Lady Morganna to her room, with a request for them to get Gaius.

"My mother always said that, sometimes, in times of trouble, God sends his angels with visions to warn and guide his children." Dinadan shrugged. "She also said women were far more receptive to them than men, because their hearts were unguarded, but father always said that was also a reason you couldn't trust them because demons could influence them just as well."

"I was referring to the fact that Sir Arthur accepted the favor of a maidservant, actually." Alexander shrugged at Dinadan's look, "Lady Morganna cares a great deal about Sir Arthur and Sir Kay, so I'm not surprised she had a nightmare about Sir Arthur getting hurt, or that she wanted him to stay out of danger."

"Either way, we'd better get Gaius." Dinadan sighed.

"You do that, I'm going to get Sir Kay, he might be able to reassure her more."

Lady Morganna's hysterics had deeply unsettled all who'd witnessed the scene, coupled with the news that the King had re-instated Sir Athur, rumors and whispers flew that something was not right within the castle.

* * *

"Leave the horses here, spread out in pairs, if you encounter the beast, attack from a distance, do not get too close." Arthur ordered the knights, and Merlin slipped to his side as they spread out. "Morganna thinks I'm going to die."

"You won't." Merlin looked at him. "You've got me, remember?"

"How reassuring." Arthur smiled, clapping him on the shoulder. "Now, if you could be stealthy for once …"

"I can be stealthy!" Merlin huffed, and followed Arthur to the beast's lair.

It moved quicker than anything had a right to, the snake-like head and neck shot forward in a longer reach than Arthur or Merlin had expected, and ignored Merlin's fireball and the bite of Arthur's sword as it clamped down on Arthur's shoulder.

Merlin shouted, and Arthur's sword flew up and into the beast's heart, making it vanish. "Damnit, no, Arthur!" _One Bite is all it takes to kill a man, there is no cure._ Merlin knelt next to Arthur. "Arthur, come on, open your eyes." He tried the spell he'd used before on wounds caused by the griffin's claws, tried to close the wound, but it remained open and bleeding. Merlin tore the neckerchief he wore from his neck and pressed it to the wound. "Someone help! We're over here!"

The other knights charged over, Sir Griflet looked down at Arthur in shock. "The beast?"

"He got it, but it got him as well, we've got to get him to Gaius, this is beyond my skill!" Merlin urged, and the knights obeyed. Merlin paid no attention to the journey, instead, he focused on Arthur, whose eyes briefly appeared to open. "Arthur, hang on, you're going to be alright, don't- don't go anywhere!" Merlin urged, but Arthur gave no appearance of acknowledgement, eyes sliding shut once more.

* * *

"He's been bitten," Gaius' announcement was the most unhelpful diagnosis Merlin had ever heard.

"I couldn't protect him," Merlin started, and Gaius turned away, "Gaius, there has to be something!"

"There is nothing I can do or give him that will help."

"If magic caused this, maybe we need magic to cure it." Merlin rushed up the stairs, grabbing his book and desperately searching for a healing spell that would save Arthur. He didn't feel the spells take hold, and was grasping straws as he said, "Maybe they need time to take effect."

He didn't see the way Gaius looked at him in sadness, all he could see was Arthur, just barely breathing. He couldn't lose Arthur, not so soon after Will …

The door opened, and Merlin looked up to see Uther enter, for once appearing unsure. "Gaius," Uther started, eyes focused on Arthur as if he was the only thing in the world.

"I'm sorry, my lord, the beast's bite is fatal,"

"We're going to do everything we can to save him!" Merlin could not accept Arthur's death. Gaius ignored his outburst.

"It is doubtful he will survive."

"My son," Uther murmured, and Merlin felt his world screech to a stop. "Oh, my son, what have I done?"

"Sire, it's not your fault," Gaius started, and Uther suddenly moved, picking Arthur up.

"He'll be more comfortable in his rightful chambers." Uther murmured, not paying any attention to Gaius or Merlin.

"Arthur is Uther's son … Arthur is the prince?" Merlin managed, but Gaius either didn't hear him, or he couldn't hear Gaius respond over the way his world once again narrowed on the form of Arthur, following him as Uther carried him away.

Uther made it to the center of the courtyard, before falling to his knees in grief. Kay, Bedivere, Griflet and another knight rushed to him, taking Arthur and bearing him up the stairs.

Morganna and Guinevere watched the scene in denial, holding onto each other as Arthur was carried into the castle.

Those that saw the scene could only think one thing: This could not be happening.

It wasn't long before the whispers followed- Sir Arthur was the prince, and he was dying for his Father's approval, Lady Morganna had been trying to intercede before the king had irreparably damaged his relationship with his son, and was bedridden in grief. As evening came, servants and trainees began standing vigil, praying for Sir Arthur's recovery.

* * *

"Merlin, you will not find any spell that will save Arthur in that book." Gaius sighed, returning to his chambers after cleaning Arthur's wound and settling him into the bed. Sir Kay had taken over caring for his foster brother, face unusually grim and stern even as his hands gently dabbed his brother's face with wet cloths. Gaius had been unwilling to stay much longer, choosing to go make sure Merlin didn't do something rash, which, his nephew and ward was definitely trying to do.

"I have to find something! The Dragon said it was my destiny to protect Arthur, and it's Arthur's destiny to become king! He's not king yet, so he can't die!"

"Destinies are not always fulfilled, Merlin, it is a lament of old men."

"Gaius, please, he's my friend!" Merlin looked at him.

"The beast was a creature of the old religion, Merlin, there is only one who might know a cure." Gaius sighed, unable to deny the pleading look that was far too much like his younger sister's.

* * *

It was child's play for Merlin to distract the guards, and he didn't slow down until he reached the ledge. "Kilgharrah!"

"Yes, young Warlock? Have you found the prince, yet?"

"Sir Arthur is the prince, you could have told me that!" Merlin felt more than a little annoyed, but that was unimportant. "He's been bitten by the questing beast! Uther ordered him to kill it to regain his knighthood and it bit him, and I don't know how to save him!"

"I see," Kilgharrah sighed. "I told Uther he would only recognize the prince when he was injured in his service, apparently he chose to ignore it." This was going to be a problem, and Kilgharrah could feel the way Merlin's magic was agitated by the harm brought to his other half. Merlin was still young, and his magic and emotions ruled him more than he ruled them. "There is one place you can go, beyond the White Mountains, there is an isle, some call it the Isle of the Blessed. It is one of the few remaining places where the Old Religion still holds sway. There, the High Priestess of the Old Religion holds the secrets of the power of life and death. She will be able to use it to help you." Merlin turned to run, "Merlin, there is a price to be paid, if you are to save Arthur, you must be willing to pay it, no matter what it is." Merlin just nodded, and Kilgharrah sighed as he settled back down onto the rock.

Nimueh would die soon. Kilgharrah wondered if she had called the Questing Beast- it was not impossible for her to do so, as only those with the power of life and death could, potentially, summon it, but it would have been a risky gamble if the beast had not been killed after biting the Once and Future king.

More importantly, Kilgharrah could not tell how Merlin would react to the life that would be taken to save the Once and Future king. He hated it, when those with destinies of any importance reached a major crossroad, his future sight was blocked until they made a decision, and he had not seen any of this coming; though he had foreseen Nimueh's death and Merlin's mastery of the power of life and death, he had not seen the Once and Future King's role in it, only the potential aftermath where it was used to protect him. Kilgharrah sighed, wondering how much longer he would have to wait to be free once more.

* * *

_MC: Had to split this beast into three parts, got way too long. Anyway, SV decided to do some major cannon welding, because of two characters she really thought should have had more screen time and roles, one just to fill in some plot holes, the other because she wants to mess with Sir Kay some more. Again- oh, wait, you haven't read the multiple outlines for Sir Kay, nevermind._

**Funny. Next up, part the second of our version of the Series 1 finale.**

**A Lady's Favor- If a lady fancied a knight, she'd give him a token of some kind to wear for luck. Sometimes it was returned, if the knight didn't really fancy her in return (it was bad luck, if I remember right, to refuse a lady's favor) other times it was kept until either the lady gave him a new one or, something, I guess lost interest and gave a favor to another knight? Sometimes the lady would extract a promise from the knight as 'payment' for the favor she gave him. While this has been highly romanticized as time goes on, sisters and mothers would also give favors to their brothers and sons, and sometimes ladies would give favors to knights they didn't particularly like if the knight they did like did something that made them upset.**

**The best analogy I can think of is betting on a horse for the platonic favors I've mentioned- if the knight did well because of a certain lady favoring him, her reputation would be tied to the success of the knight(s) she favored, more successes=better reputation, and if she chose knights that were caught cheating and generally being **_(Censored! Language, SV!)_** her reputation would suffer as well. **

**In a variation of a lady's favor: The king and queen would chose knights that would champion them in tournaments and impress the royalty and knights of other kingdoms with how impressive their knights were. The Queen's Champion was also the one who would enter duels for her honor, half because the king had to be impartial, half because of the risk of death duels carried and a dead king would mean trouble for the whole kingdom.**

_MC: FYI, she mentions historical trivia in this much detail, it's bound to be important later in the story. She doesn't even read this stuff online, she gets it from reading old books and stories and piecing it together on her own, then checking if she's drawn the right conclusion. All of the above is scarily accurate, if not the most official way to write it._

_I tell ya, if she'd written my history book, I'd have passed that class- any of the histories, actually, I find it boring!_

**Hence her refusal to read more interesting time travel stories … and belief that Time Traveler's Wife is interesting …**


	16. Life & Death and Destiny II

_MC: She posted before I could respond to that crack about the Time Traveler's Wife! She hasn't even read it, yet!_

… **Continuing on … (I'm going to be unable to find my ice cream for a few days, but it was worth it …)**

* * *

**Life &amp; Death and Destiny II**

Nimueh stared into the water, watching Merlin leave Camelot. It would take him a few days to reach her, and a few days to return … Arthur only had about seven days.

Without much care, she murmured a spell that would ensure no one, magical or not, human or not, would attack him to and from the isle. It would cost her, naturally, but she was past caring.

All that mattered was Emrys gaining the power over Life and Death, and insuring the life of Ygraine's son, the Once and Future king.

Her head snapped up, feeling an arrival to the isle that was most unexpected.

* * *

The man in black stopped at the altar, having left his sword by one of the standing stones. He'd been here once, years ago, it had been a place to rest and regroup before they moved on. Nothing had changed.

"Hello, Agravaine, it's been a long time." He looked up with a small smile.

"My lady Nimueh, time has not touched you at all." Her dress was tattered, but there was still the cold nobility that he remembered, that had only ever melted in the presence of Ygraine and Uther.

"What brings you here? I thought you were locked into your estate, unwilling to exit for anything after the loss of your siblings and nephew."

Agravaine was surprised, normally she didn't mind talking in circles for hours before getting to the point, but then, he supposed she was not interested in speaking to one who had done nothing for or against her all those years ago.

"Unwilling to socialize, perhaps, but not locked in. I ride, on occasion, trails that they loved. Wondering how to kill the man that took them from me, and where her son has gone." Agravaine pushed back the emotions that accompanied the thoughts. "The questing beast returned. The creature that appeared to Gaius and I that night, stopping us from getting the herbs that might have helped her, heralding her death and then his … I hoped to hear it is Uther's death it heralds now."

"I'm afraid it's not yet his time." Nimueh sighed, and tossed him a coin. "It is mine."

"Yours? Surely you do not believe that you are responsible for what Uther ordered you to do?" Agravaine was a little surprised, Nimueh had always been cold and prideful around him, ignoring him in favor of speaking to Uther or Ygraine, but now, she appeared tired, the cold exterior gone. (No, that wasn't true, the final battle, they had all been tired, and she had lost that distance then, too.)

"Please, Agravaine, your hatred of Uther might overshadow your hatred for me, but you don't actually care for me."

"I suppose not, but that does not change that I hate Uther more and would rather him die than you." Agravaine held up the coin. "What is this?" Nimueh had given such tokens before, not coins, but things that she had found that would help them in battle. Most had been given to Uther and Gorlois, if he recalled correctly, they now resided in the vaults of Camelot.

"You could call it a token for the ferryman of the dead." Nimueh gave a bitter smile. "It does not truly bring the dead back to life, however, it will just be a shade of the one asked for, have their memories, their soul, but no will of its own for as long as it exists in this world."

Agravaine looked at the coin, holding it tightly as the possibilities raced in his mind. So many choices, so many to use against Uther (he doesn't even consider using her for that, but his brother… or perhaps an old foe?)

"My only warning: Do not raise Vortigern, no matter how tempting."

"Believe it or not, that was not even a thought in my mind. I might have agreed with some of what that man said, but not even I could stomach what he did, Uther's the lesser of the two evils, you know." Agravaine chuckled at the irony, and pocketed the coin. He was decided, there was only one he'd really want to bring back, and together they would bring Uther to his knees.

"One more thing, your nephew has been found. He is ill, but he will recover … and he is Ygraine's son in every way that matters."

"… Is that meant to dissuade me from my revenge?" How could she say her name so easily? He would not lie and say that he had not blamed Arthur at all for his part in his younger sister's death, but he knew that Uther had been the cause, not a child who'd had no knowledge of his birth.

"No, just a suggestion that when you try to kill Uther, make sure that Arthur does not know it was you." Nimueh smiled. "Trust me, the boy will forgive you of most everything you do but that."

That could be useful, then; he'd with-hold his decision until after he met the boy, though. "I shall take that into consideration, milady." Agravaine turned to walk away.

"Fare thee well, we shall never meet again." Nimueh's voice echoed, and he turned back only to find her gone.

Agravaine absently touched the coin in his pocket as he left the Isle. There was only one person he wished to bring back, one person he had cursed for not listening to him and challenging Uther to a duel while injured and so died because he would not listen to his older brother. "You'll see, Tristan, listening to me will be the way to get our revenge."

* * *

Morganna sat on Arthur's bed, studying the rise and fall of his chest. "You believed me, did you do nothing to protect yourself?" The thought that Arthur had believed her and accepted his death as inevitable made Morganna wish she hadn't spoken at all. "Did I do this to you?"

"Don't be foolish, Kitten." Morganna jumped as Kay wrapped his arms around her. "Merlin, Merlin said the head stretched farther than he or Arthur were prepared for. Arthur had done everything he could to keep himself and his knights alive, it was just ill luck. No Knight leaves the field without some sort of injury, you know that."

"But if I hadn't made such a scene …"

"Arthur was afraid of fire as a child, did you know?" Kay sat down behind her, still holding her as if she was no more than a child. "Had nightmares about it, really bad ones, always came to me in tears so I'd let him sleep in my bed, and we never told anyone. One Samhain, I was goofing off too close a bonfire, and Arthur freaked out, tried to pull me away. I overcompensated for his pull and landed on some embers. The Wart couldn't face me for a few days, he thought he'd pushed me."

"What happened?" The two almost pitched forward as Uther entered the room, taking a chair. "It's alright, what happened next?" Morganna was relieved he was not commenting on the impropriety of Kay holding her while sitting on what could be Arthur's death bed, and relaxed back into Kay's hold.

"Well, I couldn't face Arthur either, I'd never seen him so frightened, even with the nightmares, so we did our best to avoid each other and made ourselves feel even worse. Father eventually had enough of that, and tricked us into the only room with a fireplace. Got us to tell him everything- no offense, my lord, but my father has you and Gaius beat with the 'tell me now or your punishment will get worse' look," Uther actually gave a small smile. "I think it's the battle scars, or the beard. Anyway, he got us to tell him, told us both off for being idiots, because bad things happened even if you tried to stop them, but there was no reason to forget the good. We spent the rest of the day roasting apples and chestnuts, and Wart stopped being so scared of fire after that." Kay shrugged, looking at the too still form of Arthur.

"Why is he afraid of fire?" Uther frowned, and Morganna felt Kay wince, before answering.

"I think he might have witnessed someone being burned on the pyre, before he was abducted from here … he was certain that he had to watch people be burned, and he didn't like it."

"I'm not the best father, but even I knew that he was too young then to watch an execution." Uther frowned. "He said he had to watch?"

"… Yes."

"Is there anything else you can tell me?"

"I'm afraid not, my lord." Uther nodded and stood suddenly.

"Uther?" Morganna watched him stand.

"For years, I've wondered how he could have been taken, I tracked down every lead, questioned every servant, save one. His nurse had been found with gash on her forehead and no memory of the past two days- Gaius confirmed she wasn't faking. Now, I think there is something about the time prior to his abduction I should question her about." Uther paused briefly, gently touching Arthur's head, before leaving.

"You thought it was Uther?" Morganna realized, finally placing Kay's distrust of the king around Arthur.

"You were around 8 when he started making you watch, why wouldn't he have started even younger with Arthur, his heir?" Kay muttered. "And with the way he kept questioning Arthur over every decision and choice …"

"You're an overprotective older brother," Morganna smiled, reaching out to grab Arthur's hand, "Arthur and I appreciate it, you know?" Gaius had been like an uncle to her, but it was only with Kay and Arthur that she felt like she was truly part of a family.

"Aye, and that's the only time I'll say it in his hearing." Kay let her go, much to her frustration. "It's getting late, you should try and get some sleep."

"I doubt I will …" Morganna muttered. As she went to the door, she paused. "Kay, have you seen Merlin around?"

"He said he was going to search for a cure. I, I haven't been exactly paying attention." Kay admitted sheepishly, glancing at Arthur's prone form. Morganna wished she could smile. Merlin might have wormed his way into their makeshift family, but Kay's priority would always be Arthur first, just like he had promised her all those years ago.

"I guess he's trying to return the favor, then." Morganna noticed Kay's confused look. "Mercia's treaty signing, Merlin got poisoned, and Arthur searched for a cure, got it back just in time to save his life, Gwen says."

"Merlin won't let Arthur down, then." Kay grinned without much humor, and Morganna gave a wry smile, before heading to her rooms for the night. Merlin wouldn't let Arthur, or them down. She'd have to remember to do something nice for him, if, no when, he saved Arthur.

* * *

The next morning, Bedivere had to drag Kay to the nearest bed and force fed him a sleeping draught to make him rest. He requested Guinevere to tend Arthur while he made sure Kay rested for a few hours.

Guinevere entered Arthur's new chambers, feeling oddly out of place with the realization that the noble knight she might have started to fancy (never, ever, admitting that, ever, and definitely not to Morganna) was actually a prince. The Prince, who would one day become King.

"I guess along with making you promise to return alive, I should have requested you come back unharmed too." Guinevere wiped away the sweat, and tried to drip some of the water nearby into his mouth, but her hands shook too much, she had to wipe his face again. "Sorry. So, a prince in disguise, how many stories and ballads focus on such a thing? I really ought to look it up, just to tell you … or ask one of the bards." Guinevere glanced at the door, before leaning down to whisper. "You'll make a great prince, you know, and an even greater King. I believe in you, no matter what anyone else says." It was more by accident than design that her lips brushed the side of his face, and she flushed as she pulled away, deciding to pretend that hadn't happened. "Of course, you have to wake up, and prince or no, I'm still hitting you for making us all worry like this."

* * *

Arthur was not unaware the entire time. Unfortunately, whatever venom or magic (or both) was killing him left him unable to communicate or reach out to those nearby, and attempts to reach out drove him closer to oblivion. He moved in and out of varying levels of consciousness, hearing Merlin pleading with him to live, and using the spells to heal him (the idiot, was he trying to get caught?!); he faintly remembered people touching him, carrying him or holding his hand or tending his wounds he couldn't tell, the moments blurred together; and had been vaguely aware of Kay telling Morganna a story of them as children, and Sir Bedivere coming and dragging a protesting, but clearly exhausted, overprotective older brother out.

Guinevere's voice was oddly clear at the moment, and he was aware of someone wiping his face as she spoke. _Had Guinevere just kissed him?_

He was probably hallucinating or dreaming, he decided as he sank back into the closest thing that felt like sleep, only to be aware of a notably missing presence that was not where it was supposed to be. _Where's the idiot?_

(That night, more gathered in the courtyard to hold vigil. The rumor of Sir Arthur, injured and on his death bed, reached Ealdor thanks to a wandering giant of a young man who'd been searching for something to protect, and Hunith, the young giant going along as a bodyguard, immediately set out to see her son.)

* * *

"You!" Merlin looked at the woman, recognizing her as the woman who had tricked him into drinking poison, and who tried to kill Arthur when he went for the antidote. "You tried to kill me and Arthur!"

"Testing you, young Emrys, and the bond you share with your king. I wish neither of you harm, much like Kilgharrah I am bound to the Old Religion." The woman smiled, darkly amused. "I'm afraid this is just another test of many for the two of you."

"Arthur is dying, and you call this a test?" Merlin was enraged, and just barely holding himself together, now was not the time. "How do I save him?"

A cup appeared on the altar next to her. "One who drinks from the water from this cup will have his life restored. But there is a cost, Emrys, for a life to be maintained, another must die in its place. The laws of Life and Death are etched in the heart of magic, none may change them."

"I offer my life in place of Arthur's!" Merlin declared, and gained another darkly amused smile from the priestess, who picked up the cup and gave it to him, speaking words that sent shivers through the air and caused rain to fall and fill the cup. Before he could point out the difficulty in carrying the cup back to Camelot, she took the cup back from him, pouring it with great care into an ornate metal vial with dragons decorating it.

"A bargain has been struck, I hope it pleases you." Merlin didn't ponder the words as he took the vial, instead turning and running, desperate to get back to Camelot. He didn't notice the woman shake her head in frustration.

* * *

Gaius was unprepared for Merlin to storm in with a vial, and much of the boy's explanation was lost as Gaius recognized it, a gift from Ygraine to Nimueh, given after the breaking of a glass vial nearly caused the death of Balinor. It had been years since he'd seen it, the vial had gotten passed around a few times, always just in time to save one of them, but the realization that Merlin could only have gotten this from Nimueh made his hesitate.

Life and Death, someone would die if he gave this to Arthur. (And how many would die if he didn't and Uther chose to respond with another purge?) Merlin didn't seem to understand, or had offered his own life in place of Arthur's, and Gaius prayed that there would be time to discover the cost before this ended in sorrow.

Uther came in, and Gaius knew he was too distracted by the fact they were giving Arthur something to pay attention to the vial, which was just as well. "This tincture may help, Merlin discovered the recipe in an old journal linked to dealing with injuries caused by the beast." Gaius explained, and Uther focused fully on Merlin, giving Gaius a chance to hide the vial.

"You found it?"

"He's my friend, sire, I, I could never let him die." Merlin explained, and Uther just nodded.

"You must be tired. Go and rest, I'll stay with him now." It was a dismissal, and Gaius had to tug Merlin away from Arthur's side. Uther didn't seem to notice.

* * *

The rain soaked the two travelers to the bone as they made their way to Camelot.

"We should stop for the night, my lady."

"It's Hunith, Percival." Hunith smiled at the polite young man who'd been worried by her willingness to leave her home at night just to get to Camelot quickly. "And we're almost there, we stay on this road, we'll reach Camelot just before dawn tomorrow. The rain's not too bad."

"As you say, Hunith." Percival followed her, growing concerned as she swayed. This was the second rainfall, and though the first was brief and they'd dried out just before this one started, he thought the woman he traveled with might have caught ill from that first one. She had certainly been paler than before.

He caught her as she stumbled, only the realization that she was frailer than him kept him from dropping her as he spotted watery blisters starting to appear on her face. This was no disease he recognized, and he informed her of that.

"My brother's the court physician, he'll know what to do, please, Percival, I know you'd rather not help-"

"I promised you I'd help you get to Camelot." Percival gave a small smile. "Besides, I'll probably need your brother's help too, just in case." Hunith took his arm, stubbornly insisting on walking into Camelot so as not to draw suspicion (given the looks of the guards, Percival had a feeling he'd drawn it anyway) and lead the way to her brother's chambers, where she finally collapsed.

Percival wasn't sure who was the more baffled by the situation, himself, or the old man he'd had to wake to get Hunith help.

* * *

Arthur blinked as he woke, he faintly remembered feeling Merlin nearby before falling into an actual sleep, and grimaced as he rolled his head to the side, trying to place the bed and the room he knew did not belong to him. (And yet, it felt so familiar.) Looking rather disheveled and oddly out of place, Uther was in the chair next to his bed, head resting on his arms as he leaned on the bed in an awkward position.

Arthur's movement jostled the king, and he raised his head, blinking in confusion before his eyes met Arthur's.

"Arthur, you're awake …" He breathed, and Arthur had no idea of what to make of the King's raw and hopeful expression. Arthur quickly defaulted back to his usual way of dealing with the man.

"My Lord, I don't recall what happened to the beast, were there any other casualties?"

"You defeated it even as it struck you, the physician's assistant's immediate care and treatment helped greatly, I am told, and he found a recipe for a tincture to save you. You have a loyal friend, my son."

Arthur really didn't know how to respond to that. Why didn't someone he could talk to come in? Merlin and Kay should (he hoped Merlin would be here, he knew for sure Kay would have been here) have been there, or Gaius. "Merlin's loyal to his friends, no matter the risk … is he alright?"

"The boy apparently went without sleep to find the tincture, he is resting." Uther then realized how awkward the situation was, and for a long moment they stared at each other.

"This room, it's, oddly familiar, though I don't recall being in here before." Arthur tried, not interested in talking, but the silence was even worse.

"It is the room set aside for you, more fitting for my son than the chambers of a knight. We will have to wait for you to heal to perform the ceremony, but most of the legal matters have been taken care of already."

"M- Father, I," Arthur couldn't articulate what he wanted to say. A part of him balked at the way Uther had just gone and made him a prince while he was potentially on his death bed, a greater part remembered that he needed status in order to protect Merlin and Guinevere and anyone else. "I'd still like to train the knights and guards." Both parts didn't want everything to change completely, however, and Arthur wondered if he'd crossed a line as Uther looked at the wall with an expression of consideration.

"As Prince you'd be the head of the castle's security, I see no issue with you continuing the training of the knights and guards as well. Many of the Lords feel that those you've trained are far more alert than the ones you haven't. Girl, go get Gaius, tell him my son is awake and in need of him." Uther ordered Guinevere, who'd entered as he spoke, and looked at Arthur in surprise and joy.

"I'd return your favor, Guinevere, but I'm not sure what's been done with it." Arthur interrupted before Uther could tell her off for lingering.

"Technically it was the Lady Morganna's request, my lord, and I can wait until you've fully recovered to reclaim it. She sent me to see if there was any change, if I may inform her after I get Gaius?" Guinevere glanced at them both, Arthur just managed a reassuring nod.

"That will be fine." Uther dismissed her, and turned back to Arthur. "You accepted the favor of a serving maid?"

"At the time, I still did not have a status, and Morganna was concerned that I was riding to my death, but had nothing to give me as a favor on hand. Guinevere gave me her hair ribbon, as long as I promised to return alive. Guinevere is devoted to Morganna, and we were both trying to reassure her without patronizing her." Arthur hated making light of Guinevere's favor, but it would protect her from Uther in the long run if he made it sound like it was done to reassure Morganna. Morganna wouldn't like it, but Uther had started treating her as if she was made of glass, anyway, after hearing that 'the druid boy used an enchantment that took advantage of her female nature'. "She had no idea who she was giving a favor to, and you had requested I tell no one of my heritage, so I did not see the point in refusing a well meant favor."

"You behaved honorably, then, given your position, but I do hope you'll be discreet with any dalliances with serving girls in the future."

"You're awake!" Kay entered the room, not noticing that he knocked Bedivere into one of the guards by the door.

Arthur could have kissed his older brother for coming in just before he had to respond to that comment. He wasn't sure what he was going to say, as apparently, it was alright in his father's mind to not treat serving girls honorably as long as one was 'discreet' and Arthur was just as appalled by the implications of the offhand manner in which he'd said it.

* * *

"Did you know it would cost my mother's life?!" Emrys was like a tempest, the warm glow Kilgharrah previously associated with the boy had turned into something that felt like a mix of an inferno and ice storm in his rage.

"That is the nature of Life and Death, for one to save a life, they must sacrifice one of equal value to the one they would save." There was nothing he could say to soothe the storm of rage and betrayal that Emrys was feeling. The boy was a mere hatchling, just learning his strength, and Kilgharrah felt in his raging magic an echo of the screams of the hatchlings whose mothers were killed defending their nests at the beginning of the purge. "I warned you, Arthur must live no matter the cost."

"You knew! I trusted you!" Merlin was not listening, and Kilgharrah was stung by his next words, "You will never see me again." With that, he was gone, and Kilgharrah could only roar his name in frustration.

Merlin did not return, even managing to block the dragon calling to his mind, and Kilgharrah rested on the rock as the chains reacted to his struggles.

For all his wisdom, knowing full well that the words were said in a hatchling's fit of temper, Kilgharrah could not help but grow angry at Merlin's childishness.

The dim echo of Balinor's confusion, so faint Kilgharrah would not have noticed it at all if he hadn't been so in tune with the last Dragonlord, did nothing to ease his annoyance.

* * *

**Yes, we added Agravaine and Percival much earlier- Agravaine because he's supposed to be someone Arthur knows 'all his life' when the 4****th**** season rolls around, and honestly, it makes more sense to mention him now than latter.**

**In the legends, Agravaine is a member of the round table, and pretty much he does whatever's beneficial for him, and the rest of the round table tolerates him because he does have a few moments of doing good selflessly, none of which I can remember. (Keep in mind, the round table is filled with slightly dysfunctional people who are members because they're the best warriors around, and Agravaine is still the one remembered as an evil/anti-villain type member.) **

**Tristan Du Bois is also an occasional member. I dropped Nimueh raising Tristan from the dead, and the Excalibur plot, because it takes until the end of the third season for Excalibur to become relevant again and**

_MC: Cutting that rant short, all you need to know is Excalibur's plot has been moved to season 2, the undead version of Tristan will be a shade, and Aggravating is going to be given a larger role as a sort-of-villain instead of just one season where all he does is 'play lackey to Morganna and help give Arthur emotional crises one after another.' (Yeah, SV was not impressed with writers on this one.)_

**And I thought Percival could have been used more, or at least given his own episode to shine. (There, I didn't rant, happy?)**

**Vortigern- his banner is the 'white dragon' to Uther's 'red dragon', and he was killed by Uther so he could claim the throne of Camelot. Ladies and gentleman, this guy is the one Gaius mentions as 'That Man', and the foe Nimueh, Balinor, and the rest of 'Uther's Round Table' banded together to face. I have plans for him, but probably won't be raising him from the dead.**

_MC: Not if I have anything to say! Your outline for him is scary enough! (No, really- She took inspiration from H.H. Holmes (American contemporary of Jack the Ripper, the guy even sold some of the skeletons of his victims to medical facilities and schools) and a few other of history's sickos just to get a base outline for him. I could have lived without learning half of what she mentioned!) _

**She stopped me at embalming practices of Egyptians when I suggested ways of making magical zombies, which was after HH Holmes. Apparently, she thought they did it like in the Mummy, with them still alive … Not a bad idea, though.**

_MC: Your ice cream is going to be somewhere you'll never find it!_


	17. Life & Death and Destiny III

**Last installment of Season 1 finale!**

_MC: Thank God!_

* * *

**Life &amp; Death and Destiny III**

Arthur sat next to the fire, exhausted from just moving from the bed to the chair. His arm was in a sling as, unfortunately, whatever the cure that Merlin found only worked on the odd venom/magic, and did not completely knit the skin, or his collar bone, which had been scratched by the creature's fang.

Still, being alive was worth it, and it would be better if he could ask Merlin what he'd really done.

He grimaced, it was one thing after another lately as Kay had told him Hunith had arrived ill, so Merlin was probably with her, while he was stuck so far away in these stupid chambers he couldn't go see them.

A knock on the door startled him, and he looked up at Merlin entered, far more timidly than he'd ever entered his old quarters- Merlin knew he was a prince, now, son of the greatest persecutor of magic, he remembered, and flinched.

"Are you, how are you feeling?" Merlin noticed, and promptly went into his physician's assistant persona.

"Alive, thanks to you, the pain's worth it." Arthur studied Merlin. "What about you? Is your mother alright?"

"Mother, she will be, I know where to get the cure, so, I'm, uh, leaving to get it."

"I'd come with you, but right now, I can barely make it from the bed to this chair." Arthur knew that Merlin wasn't telling him everything. Heaven help him, Arthur wasn't ready to explain himself either, and they really needed to talk, but with Merlin's mother ill …"You better go."

"Huh?"

"We need to talk, but, it can wait until you've gotten the cure for your mother. I'd rather you save her." Arthur would have given his arm to have been given the chance to save his own mother, or to just see her. He'd like to imagine she'd have been like Hunith, and there is no way he'd force Merlin to talk about anything until after Hunith was on the mend.

Merlin looked at him, and gave a small nod, throat working for a moment. "Thank you, I, I'll be back soon, I promise … don't let being a prince go to your head, prat."

"Don't be an idiot, Merlin, go."

"Of course, Sire!"

"Don't call me that, ever!" There was something utterly wrong with hearing Merlin call him 'Sire'. Merlin vanished out the door, and Arthur leaned back in the chair, before Arthur realized something.

"Damnit, was that idiot saying good-bye?" He couldn't chase him down, and there was no way he'd draw suspicion to Merlin by ordering the guards to stop him, not if it cost Hunith her life. He'd definitely be having words with Merlin, however.

* * *

Nimueh wondered if perhaps she misread the signs for her death when Gaius showed up instead of Emrys. What next, Uther showing up to save Gaius? She would have loved to taunt Uther, though, probably should have made some time for that. Too late now.

"I'm going to guess that Merlin's coming here to offer his life for his mother, and you wish to do so in his place?" Nimueh stopped Gaius in the middle of him telling her off for tricking Merlin. Had he forgotten everything he'd learned all those years ago when he stopped practicing spells?

"According to him, he offered his life in the first place." Gaius stood there, condemning her for tricking the boy.

"Gaius, he cannot use his life as a sacrifice for any of the old laws." Nimueh sighed, summoning the cup. "He is Emrys, immortal, he cannot be killed by magic for he is a creature of it. Swords and poison perhaps, because he is so young; but eventually not even they will be able to kill him."

"You've spoken of Emrys before."

"And we spoke of Arthur as well. Emrys and the Once and Future King, Merlin and Arthur, this is but one test for them." _One that Emrys is being rather slow to complete_, she mentally added, how hard was it to realize he could take her life in payment? Or perhaps the spirits of the Old Religion found it highly amusing that her life would go to save the life of a coward she detested (but did not truly hate for the care he gave Ygraine's son)?

"My sister is dying, Nimueh, and I would save her before Merlin arrives."

"I will, but there are two more things for you to remember. First, I want Arthur to have the vial I gave Merlin. It was a gift from Ygraine, you can say it was left in your things when I escaped, and he will likely need it again, ere long." Nimueh held up the cup to him. "Second, I fear my successor will be chosen from within Camelot's walls, you must help her when her magic awakens, Gaius; she will be either their strongest ally or greatest foe, and her sister has already turned firmly against Camelot."

"Morgause knows?" Gaius took the cup. "How did you find out?"

"I cannot lie to those that come to me, Gaius, that bracelet was a flimsy ruse especially with it known her sister was taken in by the king for being Gorlois' daughter." Nimueh absently spoke the necessary words for the cup to take Gaius' life and be filled. "Now, will you please do better with my successor?"

"You speak as if I will live." Gaius noted, and Nimueh sighed.

"You will, a priestess cannot offer her own life, but one with a stronger magic might take it in payment, it is the height of irony my life will be taken to save yours." Gaius' eyes widened in shock, and Nimueh took the cup and lowered him to the ground as the spell took hold. "I am so tired, Gaius, so empty." She murmured as she stood back up, holding up the cup.

"Gaius!"

"Are you going to offer me your life for his, child?" There was too much indecision in his features, even as he threw a fireball at her, Nimueh just threw it back at him in annoyance, knocking him down. "Are you even trying?" She asked, almost turning to leave.

A crackle filled the air, magic tingling her skin with the raw power of a storm, and Nimueh smiled as Merlin stood up, calling on the power of Life and Death and wielding it with an ease that had taken her years to master.

_Finally. _Everything went white as the bolt hit her.

* * *

Hunith woke in confusion, feeling much better and without the blisters that had made her uncomfortable. Eventually, she recognized Merlin's room, and saw her son moving around, quietly trying to dry his hair, but tripped on a shirt.

"Dear, pick up your things before you break your neck." Hunith chided, and Merlin looked at her in surprise. "I guess it wasn't my time yet."

"No, it wasn't." Merlin grinned and hugged her gently. "I'm glad you're up, I'll be back for dinner. Percival's still downstairs and Gaius will be back soon, I think."

"Where are you off too? Don't I deserve some time with my son?" Hunith frowned, she didn't remember Merlin spending much time with her while she was sick, and from his sheepish expression, he really hadn't.

"I know, I'm sorry, but I've got to go have it out with Arthur." Merlin grimaced. "I thought you'd be asleep for a little longer, and told him I'd be there."

"Oh, what for?" She'd seen the two 'having it out' before, and thought it was odd they had agreed to meet.

"Remember, I told you he was a knight that was disgraced? Turns out, he's the prince and he never told me!" Merlin didn't see the way Hunith paled at that. "He promised we'd talk after you started healing, and Gaius wanted to talk with him first about something, so I thought I'd clean up a bit. But it's really not going well right now, because I've been so busy traveling everything is dirty." Merlin grabbed a shirt, examined it, muttered something that made it less wrinkled, and pulled it on.

"He, he's the prince?" Son of a magic hating King? Hunith wanted to ask, before remembering the way Arthur had taken her hands and vowed to protect Merlin, and squashed the question with a vengeance. Arthur would die for her son, given the chance, he wouldn't turn him in now.

"Oh, yes, and apparently, he was lying about what he told Will, the prat!" Merlin kissed her before he stormed out as Gaius came up the stairs.

"Arthur's the prince?" Hunith managed, still a little shocked.

"It's a long story." Gaius sat down next to her.

"He knows Merlin has magic, and he's the prince, I figured there was a long story."

"… _Arthur _knows Merlin has magic? I told him not to tell anyone!" Apparently, it wasn't the only long story to be told, Hunith had to calm her older brother as he came to terms with the idea. Once that was discussed, Gaius had Percival come up to sit with her while he went to make something to help her regain her strength, and she asked the young man if he wouldn't mind escorting her home once Gaius decided she was well enough to travel.

* * *

"To sum up, you tried to trade your life for mine, because the dragon the king keeps under the castle to show off he's strong enough he could leave one dragon alive without fear, told you it was your destiny to protect me and help me rule Albion, and it didn't occur to you that the 'help me rule' part meant you couldn't be killed either?" Merlin fidgeted in his seat.

"Well, I didn't know you were a prince, so I was kind of going to tell destiny to die in a fire anyway so I could save my best friend." Merlin admitted, and watched Arthur rubbed his eyes with one hand. "You never told me you were a prince, you know, I would have told you all this sooner."

"Well, I didn't want to lose my best friend because my father is the king, and, well," Arthur grimaced, gesturing to the fire on the hearth, "The King." He finished lamely.

"Fair enough, I might have run for the hills if you'd told me the first day we met." Merlin admitted.

"Likewise, I didn't want to be the prince." The two shared a look, pleased that nothing had really changed between them. Arthur sighed as he realized yet another problem. "I'm going to have to lead hunts for sorcerers, I couldn't defy the king too often before, now I can't defy him publicly without an ironclad reason."

"But you're his son …" Merlin frowned.

"While I'm injured, yes. Once I've healed … I'm Prince Arthur, head of the guards and knights and honor bound to uphold the King's laws as long as he lives." Arthur closed his eyes. "I can protect you better, but at the same time, I can't protect many others, I have to be the Prince he wants."

There was nothing Merlin could say to that, given he knew the way Uther had treated Arthur before, and how quick Uther was to dismiss Gaius who was loyal to him. As much protection Arthur's new status gave him, it also increased the danger the two would be in. "We'll figure it out as we go along … besides, we're not really alone, are we?"

"True. So what about this Percival character? Bedivere said he helped your mother get to Camelot?" Arthur asked, and Merlin didn't notice the way he studied the vial on his desk as he told him what he knew of the man that was (slightly, Kay insisted) taller than Kay.

* * *

Kilgharrah tried to call for Merlin again, once again slumping down as the chains reacted to his thrashing.

"He's still angry at you." Kilgharrah looked at the young man in front of him, an arm in a sling and a torch in one hand. "I'm Arthur Pendragon, you're Kilgharrah, the Great Dragon?"

"I never thought I'd see you down here, princeling." Kilgharrah studied him, unsure what to make of either the bravery or foolishness of the princeling. Then again, the chains kept him from incinerating the king, and probably would do the same for his son.

"Arthur, if you please." Arthur studied him as well.

"Very well. Why are you here?" Arthur carefully set his torch down and showed him a metal vial.

"Merlin said he got this vial from Nimueh, but when Gaius brought it to me earlier, he claimed it was from my mother, and he found it in with some spare vials."

"Gaius is well versed in half truths, that vial was a gift from your mother to the High Priestess Nimueh, I remember the day she gave it to her." Kilgharrah studied the metal vial, it had been a while, since he had bothered to think of the past. "Your mother requested I help forge it, nothing that is put in it will spoil, and it will not break."

"Nimueh was an ally, then?" Arthur asked as he looked at the vial, absently holding it closer.

"The Dragons, dragonlords, priestesses and druids and Uther shared a common enemy, once. Your father united us all to defeat it." Kilgharrah snorted. "That is all I will say on the matter, I doubt very much you wanted to just find out about a vial."

"No. I came to ask if you can wait until I'm king to be set free?" Arthur put the vial away, and picked up the torch. "Merlin told me he promised you that, and since he's upset, I thought I'd come and tell you I'd honor that promise when I'm king, as Uther and I aren't, aren't so close that he'd accept me letting you out right now, and then I wouldn't be able to protect Mer- anyone."

"Uther's temper has always been indiscriminate." Kilgharrah agreed, studying the prince. No hatchling should fear their sire, and while Kilgharrah wanted freedom sooner rather than later, he understood Arthur's hesitation. It was not out of malice or fear of the dragon that had Arthur telling him his freedom would have to wait, but a desire to fulfill Merlin's promise in a way that would protect Merlin as well. Arthur was meant to protect Merlin as much as Merlin was meant to protect Arthur. (And as upset as he was with Merlin, Kilgharrah was loyal to the boy who would be Emrys and a dragonlord, and he would _always_ have his loyalty.) "Very well, but if certain events come to pass, I will insist on being set free immediately, regardless of risk."

Arthur studied him for a moment, brow furrowing before it cleared. "I understand." Arthur nodded, and gave a small bow, stiff from injury. Kilgharrah had smiled, realizing Arthur had come up with a scenario that would require him releasing the dragon regardless of the danger from Uther.

"I believe you do. If you would step closer, Arthur." He supposed he could do something of good faith, instead of just telling the prince about a vial, especially as the prince had agreed to release him just because he wanted to honor Merlin's previous promise that he was too upset to remember. Arthur obeyed, head tilted in question and managed not to flinch as Kilgharrah breathed on him. "It will not have the same effect as if you were a dragonlord, but that should help heal and strengthen the injury." Kilgharrah explained.

"My thanks, Great One."

Kilgharrah snorted. "It will work better if you get some rest." He watched Arthur leave, and shook his head before taking flight to the smallish cave he used as a bed.

Hatchlings, always getting into trouble, and he was getting too old for dealing with them.

* * *

"_Really Nimueh, you gave Agravaine a coin to raise Tristan from the dead? I just got him to accept his death!" The vision of gold and white finally turned into the friend she had dearly missed. _

_Nimueh looked into the face, not pale and worn from the stress of the labor that had killed her, but young and vibrant and every inch the regal queen._

"_I'm more concerned about Morganna, if Morgause tells her the truth and Gaius does nothing…" Behind her, a familiar dark haired man and a woman with dark-brown hair were sitting. Nimueh blinked, tears beginning to well up in her eyes for no reason she could think of._

"_We yelled at each other years ago, they've agreed I've got the right to go first when Uther gets here."Ygraine smiled, holding out her hand._

"_It's even harder to win an argument with her in this place. Just so you know." Gorlois wrapped an arm around Vivienne._

"_I missed you." Nimueh took Ygraine's hand, and was promptly wrapped in an embrace she remembered well. She was finally home._

* * *

**Finally, this was a pain to write. Sorry for the lack of Morganna, but we'll see more of her later, especially as I'm playing with her character possibilities since Morgause does exist here (yes, I've seen all the seasons, but they got rid of Morgause too quick, I know the actress had a personal life, but I'm just saying, it was too quick, and at least fanfiction doesn't require any actors) … next Multi POV- 'The Raven's Revenge' … I've got a piece for Percival and maybe Uther or Gaius next.**

_MC: You're telling me, this was a pain and a half to edit. Too many people … and SV hid my ice cream … Then she went and gave Nimueh a happy ending! I mean, yes, she's dead, but c'mon! Complaining about Villains not being used to their full potential, and then oh, hey, let's give someone a happy ending … then again, alternative character interpretation … probably should put that warning back up … _


	18. Percival

_MC: Sir Percival, One of several characters she wanted more background on. Also, one she thought should have had his own episode. Personally, I think this chapter's unnecessary._

_To Catherine10: Depends on your definition of 'Immortal' ... that's all we can say. _

**Unfortunately, he's not going to be a knight just yet, oh well :/**

**Percival**

He was looking for a job after his mother passed, but so far, the best he could do was help someone for a little while before having to move on. He'd heard of a village called Ealdor that had been having trouble with bandits, and had just gone to see if they needed help.

Unfortunately for him, the bandits had already been routed, and the village had been able to repair itself already, but they had been interested to hear about the rumors of the world, and Percival had decided to share what he knew as he figured out where he'd go from here.

He hadn't expected for his comment about a knight of Camelot being on his death bed to be met with sudden stillness, and a woman immediately saying she would go to check it for herself. No one objected, and even Percival felt small when he pointed out the potential danger to her and received a look that informed she was the adult, she knew what she was doing, so he should sit down and be quiet, thanks very much.

His mother had given him a similar look several times, even as she was ill and still working despite his protests. Percival decided to follow her to Camelot and make sure she got their alright.

It was a good thing he had insisted, Hunith had fallen ill on the way. Once Gaius had an understanding of the situation, he'd promptly had him restarting the fire and moving some of the furniture to set up a couple cots after Hunith was placed on Gaius' bed. Percival had answered the questions as quickly as he could for the man, but was faced with the realization that he honestly didn't know how to help.

Her son had woken in the morning, and had come down the steps as if in confusion.

"Mother? What's wrong with her, Gaius? … Who's he?" Merlin's question about Percival was clearly an afterthought.

"Percival, he escorted your mother when news reached her about Arthur's injury. He's been helping me." Gaius had explained. "It came on suddenly, apparently, yesterday, you said?" Percival nodded, not noticing the hidden meaning behind the words. All he noticed was the way Merlin had paled, and was about to rush from the room when a maid came in, announcing that Arthur had woken and the king wanted Gaius to see to him.

"Hunith!" She'd exclaimed when she saw the woman.

"Yes, Percival, Merlin, I believe she'll be more comfortable in Merlin's room, I'll go to the King, when you've seen to Morganna, Gwen, I would like you to come and help me with Hunith." Gaius instructed, and it was an awkward silence the two left.

"I'll carry her up, if you'll fix the bed clothes?" Percival offered, and Merlin nodded, watching him pick up his mother (Percival would have thrown any stranger that tried to carry his mother, but Merlin was clearly in shock, though still wary enough to keep an eye on Percival) and leading the way up. Percival gently set Hunith down, and stepped back so Merlin could tuck her in.

"Why were you escorting my mother?"

"I, er," Percival grimaced. "She reminded me of mine, to be honest. I felt, I was worried about her."

"Oh." Merlin blinked, looking down at his mother in silence. "I have to, I have an errand to run, if you could watch her, for a bit longer?"

Percival frowned, but nodded, and Merlin noticed.

"Sorry, I'd ask you to do it, but, well it has to be me." Merlin had been so torn, Percival realized that he probably had work he was supposed to do, and couldn't get out of it while Gaius was also busy with the prince. (Percival had only ever worked and lived for his mother, so the dilemma was a new idea for him.)

"It's okay. I'll watch over her." Merlin had kissed his mother before rushing out, and Percival awkwardly settled down to watch over her.

Merlin comes back much later, sits up with his mother, and leaves the next day after extracting a promise from Percival to watch her. Percival is more bewildered by the sudden disappearance of Gaius, and Guinevere helps him watch over Hunith, who starts getting better (the blisters were healing) the day after. Merlin and Gaius return and both end up sleeping for most of the day and night.

* * *

The Castle is busy, and Percival has a very awkward encounter with Sir Kay, whom he is only just taller than, much to the amusement of Bedivere, Guinevere and Hunith.

"Come and fight me, Pretty Boy, I want to see if you're half as tough as you look!" Sir Kay had challenged, and had been frustrated when Percival had refused, and only grudgingly dropped the matter when Hunith interceded.

He thinks he should probably leave, but Hunith requested him to escort her home, and Gaius doesn't mind him using a spare cot, so he tries to keep out of their way instead.

It works until a man with an arm in a sling enters while they're gone, Merlin taking his mother to see a friend and Gaius went to help someone, and Percival realizes he has _no idea_ what he should even say when someone comes in looking for them.

"You're Percival, I take it?" Percival nods, and the man smiles. "I'm Arthur, thank you for looking after Hunith, Merlin was running himself into the ground trying to help both of us."

"You're, your highness," Percival tries to change his outstretched hand (he meant to shake the other's hand) into a bow, but Arthur just clasps his arm with a grin.

"It's just Arthur, Percival." Arthur says, ignoring Percival's awkwardness. "It's nice to finally meet you."

Percival grins back, and something, somewhere, slides into place. "Arthur, then. If you're looking for Hunith, she and Merlin went to see a Lady Morganna?"

"Actually, I came to see you. Merlin said you were looking for a job?"

"Yes," Percival pauses, wondering how to explain he doesn't actually care for crowds (it's gotten better, but it's one of the reasons it was always just him and his mother, and Camelot is just too big and busy, he feels as if he's being surrounded every time he steps out the door).

"But you're not interested in one here just yet." Arthur, however, picks up on that. "You haven't really left this place since you came, Kay was annoyed you wouldn't leave to take up his challenge." Percival shifts, a little embarrassed, but Arthur just shakes his head. "Refusal's good for him. I was actually wondering if you would be willing to work for Merlin by taking care of Hunith for him? There's also a couple in Ealdor that lost their only son to bandits, that Hunith will probably insist you help instead and Merlin won't mind."

"I'd like that, but why are you the one offering?" If it was Merlin he'd work for, why was the offer coming from Arthur?

"Because Merlin is an idiot and doesn't know how being the court Physician's apprentice is also a position that not only pays him but will give a stipend to his mother. And Gaius apparently never discussed this with the treasurer, so I've had to deal with a very annoyed Treasurer to straighten their accounts." Arthur grimaces. "Sorry, but it's easier if I work out some of the details with you before I have to explain it to them."

"Alright."

* * *

Percival enjoys dinner that night, which is slightly crowded with Guinevere, Bedivere and Kay, and Arthur and Lady Morganna join them after their dinner with the king to just talk and check on Arthur's shoulder. Hunith doesn't mind Percival helping her, but promptly explains about a couple that just lost their only son that needs more help than her, and Percival looks at Arthur in shock.

"Merlin's almost exactly like his mother," Arthur grins, and grumbles when he realizes he can't trap Merlin in a headlock in retaliation for the other kicking him without making his shoulder ache. "Almost, because she's practically eligible for sainthood for raising him at all!" He says instead, glaring at Merlin.

Percival joins in the laughter and just listens to the teasing as he vows that someday, he'll come back to Camelot to stay.

* * *

**There. Percival is now going to be stationed in Ealdor for the time being. Remember, Lancelot's currently studying under Lord Ban, and I'm trying to have Merlin and Arthur collect as many of the members of the round table prior to series 3 rewrite that I can.**

_MC: stupid, kudzu-like plot … at least we get Sir Leon back soon, and Lancelot …we'd better have Lancelot._

**Percival was raised by his mother, according to most stories, after the death of his father. (He does have a brother, Aglovale, who survived the attack but was raised by someone else; but I'm still working on whether or not I'll even add him.) As a result, in the beginning of the stories, Percival tends to be treated as if he's very feminine- which is actually him just being shy around people he's just met, and not being too aggressive. Him and Kay have a rather funny rivalry, which is basically Kay being sore that Percival is bigger and better than him, after years of him being the biggest and strongest of the knights. The only reason Percival even reciprocates the rivalry, is Kay 'hit' (the severity of the hit varies) a woman who was supposed to laugh the moment she saw the 'best' of Arthur's knights, and she laughed when she saw Percival. Percival happens to be a big softy to women (and children) and didn't take Kay hitting a woman well, and beat him. They retained the animosity for years, but unlike **_**other knights**_**, their rivalry remained friendly.**

_MC: Yeah, yeah, take a shot at my favorites; anyway, more events out of order to come, mostly because she wants to keep adding Knights of the Round Table to the fic._


	19. Agravaine

**Agravaine, so much potential, so much just wasted …**

_MC: And her definition of Villain is skewed; apparently, him and Nimueh are her favorites from the show, just for the gray area/anti-villains/nobledemons(or whatever TV trope she's fascinated by) they could have been. Warning, Awkwardness and Alternative Character interpretations ahead!_

**Agravaine**

Camelot has changed in the years he's been gone, but Agravaine feels the excitement and joy of the people as he rides up to the castle, so similar to back then. The prince is to be crowned tomorrow, there will be feasting, and Camelot will rejoice in the knowledge that her prince has returned.

The coin Nimueh gave him is burning a hole in the pouch around his neck. Soon, he will be calling his brother's shade to him, to work on their revenge.

But not yet. He needs to see the prince for himself, see if he's the nephew that he had searched for until the bitterness of the deaths of his siblings and too many thwarted hopes caused him and Uther to say things that had him leaving the castle to grieve in peace.

Gorlois and Gaius had been the most loyal to Uther, but even they hadn't known who Uther had requested to act as his Spymaster during the battles that had lasted for over a decade until Vortigern was finally slain. Agravaine had been the only one Uther had trusted for the job, because even back then, Agravaine was only loyal to his siblings, and Tristan's near death at the hands of Vortigern had been the deciding factor on who Agravaine would side with.

His sister's marriage to Uther had been the only reason he had remained loyal to Uther, and after the deaths of her and his brother, the only thing that had stopped him from killing Uther was the memory of war and a small babe who had, only once and been promptly corrected, mistaken Agravaine to be his father.

The stables aren't as crowded as he feared, and as he leaves, a young man bumps into him.

"Sorry about that, my lord, he slipped." A blond one apologizes, pulling his friend's collar so that the other is behind him. "He's a bit clumsy."

"Arthur!" The boy hisses, and Agravaine just barely notices the stark differences in their clothes (one rich, one poor) in the way his mind focuses on the young man in front of him, face impassive and posture protective of the one behind him.

"It's fine." Agravaine honestly has forgotten the boy that bumped into him. Looking at him right now is a young man that resembles Ygraine greatly, to the point Agravaine can hardly see anything that resembles Uther. "You look just like your mother." Agravaine says before his mind catches up with him.

"You, you knew her?" Arthur looks surprised for a moment, and Agravaine sees the way he struggles to put his mask back in place.

"Yes- My apologies, my lord, I am Lord Agravaine, brother of the, late, Queen." Agravaine bows to keep his own composure. He hadn't really had a plan when he came to Camelot besides observation from the background, and now he realizes how much Nimueh wasn't lying, because the instant he tells him he was the queen's brother, the prince reaches out.

"No apologies necessary Un- Lord Agravaine, I, I had no idea I had any other living family besides the king." Arthur's hands stop short, and Agravaine feels more than a little angry that Uther has apparently not mentioned anything to the boy about his family. "I saw the genealogy, of course, but no one ever spoke of you, so I assumed you too were …"

"I'm afraid that might have been my own fault, the King and I had a falling out, after you were, taken." Agravaine quickly hides behind one of his many, many masks that helped him deal with the darker politics of Camelot and war, keeping his sister safe. Accusing the king of anything was treason and dangerous if the wrong person heard, and it was far safer to speak politely about the king, no matter what one felt.

"Something you two have in common, then." The other boy reminds them he's there, and yelps as Arthur elbows him. "Hey! I got kicked by that beast you call a horse, I'm still sore!"

"Shut up, Merlin."

"What? I'm just saying," Merlin starts, and cuts off at Arthur's look, "Oh, fine, let's escort him to whatever room he's got and I'll get you two lunch so you can catch up without all the court etiquette nonsense."

"Lord Agravaine, this is Merlin, the court physician's apprentice." Arthur introduces a bit belatedly, and Agravaine wonders if history is going to repeat itself with these two.

"Is Gaius still the physician, then?" Agravaine asks, and is mortified when the two help him with his saddle bags, instead of calling a servant. (That, more than anything, proves Nimueh wasn't lying, Ygraine _never _got the concept that ladies and queens weren't supposed to help carry their own things, let alone help others with theirs, a remainder of the time spent in camps on a battlefield.)

They talk about everyday things, the weather, the harvest, the fact Cenred's successful coup was months ago and still no change to his kingdom's name, as they reach the set of rooms that the chamberlain had long ago set aside for him, and had yet to give away, and Merlin vanishes with a grin.

"Is there anything you'd like to know?" Agravaine offers to stop the silence descending on them.

"A few things … most importantly, would you mind if I called you Uncle?"

It's sudden and blunt and Agravaine is thrown because they just met (for the first time, as far as Arthur's concerned) that it takes a moment. "I'm not sure if the King would approve, but, I would like that." An Uncle is a person one trusts, Agravaine has seen how the relationship is often much lighter than that between father and son, and honestly, Agravaine would rather have a closer relationship to his nephew than that of an advisor. "If I may call you Arthur?"

"Well, at least when we are alone, then, I'm not sure how the king will react, either." Arthur admits, and Agravaine does something he hasn't done in years.

His siblings had been more tactile, and it had been rare for him to reach out to them first, rare for him to reach out for anyone, really, that it had been something he'd done only when he knew they needed him to show them affection. It's completely awkward as he hesitantly reaches out, and Arthur is equally hesitant in reaching out; but once they clasp each other's shoulder, it is quickly turned into something oddly reassuring and comforting. It doesn't last very long, compared to what he used to get from his siblings that tended to last until he had to push and fidget to get them to let go, but it's longer than he'd give anyone else, now or ever.

"Could you tell me something about her? There's not even a memory of her here." Arthur asks, and Agravaine struggles for a moment, not really ready to ever speak of his siblings, but knowing that such information would be something Arthur needs from him, like an act of good faith.

"Y-ygraine was beautiful and kind," He starts, choking on her name, it's painful, but that description doesn't do her justice, he knows. "She, was one of the good things about my life, her death, it's made her memory painful." He won't tell Arthur about the deal that cost Ygraine her life. It's an odd decision, but it's the right one for right now. Arthur knows nothing about his mother (and he will rage at Uther for that privately) and he knows Yqraine wouldn't want the first thing Arthur knows about his mother be her death was for his life. "However, she was a terror growing up." Part of the tale is made up, it's been so long since he's thought of it, but he wants Ygraine to be remembered by her son. "There was a baker in our town, made the best sweet rolls than even our cook, and it was rare we got them, due to having our lessons for most of the day, they would be all gone by the time we could go to the village. Ygraine figured a way to sneak out in the morning, and steal the rolls while they were cooling. However, what I didn't know, was that she also planned for me to get in trouble for it." Agravaine shook his head. Tristan had gone with them, while Ygraine acted as a distraction for the two. "When our father caught her out of bed so early, she said she was trying to stop me from stealing them."

"Mother did that?" Arthur asks, and Agravaine is a little taken aback by the wonder in the question, because it strikes him then that this is all wrong, Ygraine should be here, Tristan should be here (he'd been just as excited as Ygraine, eager to be the one to train the boy as a knight) and it shouldn't have been left to him to tell Arthur about his mother. "What happened?"

"Well, I of course had to pay for the rolls I'd stolen, father didn't believe me when I said Ygraine came up with it, she was only five, after all, and I was the eldest. I was not impressed when Ygraine was rewarded for her honesty with the rolls in question, especially as I was sentenced to be locked in my room. However, I wasn't able to hold the grudge long. Ygraine sneaked in and gave me half of the rolls in question, apologizing for getting me in trouble." Agravaine sighed. "I never could stay mad at her long, any time she got us into trouble, she always made sure to make up for it."

* * *

It's all too soon Arthur has to leave, he has to spend the night in vigil in the chapel before his coronation in the morning, and Agravaine takes solace in the fact that whatever Uther decides, Arthur does indeed care for the uncle he's just met. Perhaps not trust, just yet, but he does want to know him and that's more than Agravaine would even have dreamed of.

It's just barely enough to keep him from attacking Uther, however, when he meets his ward Morganna at dinner that night, really a small feast of welcome to the lords and ladies who've arrived.

He'd believed she was the daughter of Gorlois, as a child, her dark hair had looked like his. Now that she was older, she looked like someone he'd known _years_ ago, and who had been long dead.

Uther is unsurprised when Agravaine corners him later in the council chambers, and it's only the knowledge that he will be better of if Arthur continues to care for him, which will only stop if he's connected to Uther's death, that keeps him from killing the man where he stands.

"Why are you here, Agravaine?"

Years of politics keeps him from growling at the man who seems to have decided his existence here is unimportant. "I heard the rumors, I wanted to see if it was my nephew." Agravaine is amazed at how calm his voice sounds to his own ears. "I found I couldn't stay away."

"I see." Uther looks at him. "And you wish to speak with me, why?"

Well, if Uther was going to give such wonderful openings like that. "I forgave your betrayal of my sister once, Uther. You said the child was taken care of and you wouldn't slip again. Imagine my disbelief when I see the spitting image of your sister on your left tonight, introduced as the daughter of Gorlois." This is not the time or place. Agravaine knows this. "She was born six months before my nephew, as I recall, how in hell did you manage that?" But this is the man who claimed his sister as his heart and soul repeatedly, and now he knows he betrayed her not once (easily forgiven, there had been much to drink, Uther had not been the only one waking up in a bed with a different partner) but twice (Ygraine was sweet and idealistic, but it would have killed her to know her husband had an affair with another woman so close to home). Agravaine was within his rights to question him about this, and Uther knew it. "Had you been anyone else, you'd have been dead after the first time, just like Hoel."

"Ygraine was my world and my wife, Agravaine. Vivienne was a sorceress that used me."

"I will accept that, but that does not mean I forgive you." A lie, Agravaine wondered if that was how Uther slept at night, pretending that Vivienne enchanted him instead of him having wandering eyes, and that calling the girl the daughter of Gorlois was meant to hide his indiscretion. "I'm here for my nephew's coronation, and, I want to know how he was taken from us in the first place." It had vexed him, fruitless searches and no leads, especially for one in his position. It had been the final straw, the last time he had returned with nothing. He had left Camelot, only just a word from banishment.

"Sir Ector raised him, he felt the boy was in danger when he recognized him, and did not contact me in fear whoever took him in the first place had only lost him and would come back again. He does not know who did it."

"You believe him?" With the exception of two people, who were dead, Agravaine didn't trust anyone fully. (That total may go up to three, depending on his nephew.)

"Sir Ector is honest to a fault, he would never lie to me, even though his lands are now in Mercia."

"I see." Agravaine knows what Uther wants, what he will demand, and he also knows what his answer will be. "I'll check into it, then."

"I would like to have my spymaster back where he belongs." Uther offers, as if they hadn't just gone over the reasons why Agravaine could betray Uther just moments before.

"I will swear my loyalty to her son, Uther. You and I have long past the days when such oaths between us were believable." Agravaine is pushing it, he knows it, but he will be damned if he swears his loyalty to the man that caused the death of his siblings.

"You were always more loyal to your blood than anyone, but I would remind you that you along with Gaius and Gorlois, swore not to reveal the truth to Arthur of his mother's death and his birth. I still hold that oath valid, and it will be your death if he learns it from you."

"As you wish." Agravaine bows, the perfect image of submission to a king's will. A blatant lie, however, as Agravaine is seething at the reminder Uther currently has the position of authority to back the threat up.

The coin is still burning in the pouch as he leaves, his plans now mostly decided. Uther will fall, one way or another, and Agravaine will do anything to assure his nephew knows how his father betrayed his mother. Not out of malice, exactly, save that which he holds against Uther, but so Arthur will not follow in Uther's footsteps.

It will be a week before he can leave, a week before he stands at the edge of a lake and tosses in the coin, watching as the shade of his brother emerges from the lake. It is only the start of his revenge, and Agravaine will start gathering the pieces he needs to make sure of his success once he has Tristan prepared.

It is only the start.

* * *

**There we go. Agravaine: loyal to himself and those he cares about, and completely willing to let everyone he doesn't like burn.**

**Agravaine is not aware that the first child Uther sired with Vivienne, Morgause, is alive and well. He is however, aware that for all Uther loves Ygraine, the man had an affair with at least Vivienne, and possibly more. The only reason he cares is that Uther was married to his sister, anyone else betraying their wives, he wouldn't care about.**

**Uther's excuse to Agravaine is just that, but more on that if Uther ever decides to cooperate with me! Also, Uther knows Agravaine fairly well, by this point, he knows that the other is a bit more dangerous than he lets on, but also that, if Agravaine swears loyalty to Arthur, he **_**won't **_**betray Uther as long as Arthur stays on Uther's side. (He is, however, not aware that Agravaine plans are a bit more elaborate than they used to be.)**

**There are more than a few magical artifacts mentioned in Arthurian Lore (or any story) that can be used by non-sorcerers. I am counting the coin-raising-the-dead as one of them. The coin isn't physically burning him, just the fact he's pretty close to starting his revenge.**

_MC: Arthur accepts Agravaine pretty quickly, but he's also latching on to the first link he has to his mother that is willing to talk (however difficult) about her. Also, Arthur is pretty pure-hearted, in any canon, trusting people fairly easily unless they attack him or someone he cares about, and Agravaine didn't give any reason for Arthur not to trust him. That's SV's argument. Personally, I somewhat agree, but I think Arthur will still be cautious around Agravaine until he proves himself as an ally. _

_Aggravating is going to be a bit of a politics coach for Arthur and Merlin, ideally, unfortunately, the plot with shade Tristan is going to take a while to get going … because it's nowhere near as flashy as Nimueh's ideas._

**Also, 'Uther's Sister'. This time period, due to high infant mortality death rates, having lots of children was the norm. Uther does have two brothers and at least one sister mentioned in the various stories, and in the great list of characters that Arthurian Legend provides, Uther's Sister is also named Anna. (This happens a lot, for example Ywain/Owain has a brother with the same name, usually with the title 'The Bastard' added on.) So, presumably, Uther names his daughter after his sister, and Morganna/Morgan is from 'Anna' as well. Also, Morgause somewhat resembles the welsh 'Gwhrys' (Which I have quite possibly butchered the spelling of) which was the welsh name of Arthur's sister, meaning 'Bloodshed'. However, this is just interesting trivia/conjecture I've heard, and Arthurian Legend is a hobby, not a career of mine.**


	20. Tristan Du Bois, Black Knight

… **MC gets creeped out easily. As such, she's edited the "creepy factor" as much as possible, making this one of the shortest chapters.**

_MC: I'm not apologizing! I thought we were doing Arthur next, not, not this!_

**Tristan Du Bois**

Uther stood over him as he died, he remembers seeing Agravaine restrained by Gorlois for a moment, before his brother broke free and grabbed him in his arms. He remembers vowing that he'd come back for his revenge, somehow.

He remembers a place, a place that seemed to be more real than anything he could ever remember, his sister, sweet and beautiful and kind and deserving so much more than to die for a man's desire for a son.

"_It had been my desire too, brother."_ She'd reminded him, and he doesn't really know why he started to cry, when she added, _"You'd promised you be there to guard and protect my son, I know why you challenged him, that fire of yours always got you into trouble, but brother, please, let it go."_

It was a sort of hell, he'd decided, to have his sister, so loving and compassionate, forgiving him and urging him to let go, which only made him want to hold on because he had failed his family. It was made worse, the occasions when he could see those left behind, see little Arthur call Agravaine father because his own was almost never there, and see Agravaine turn into a recluse.

He'd raged at everyone, the day little Arthur was taken by Nimueh, and again the day Agravaine, instead of continuing on, just shut down and became a hermit. Ygraine had hovered nearby, watching and bearing the brunt of his cries.

Eventually, though, he remembers calming down, finally accepting his death, the death of his sister, and he thinks seeing little Arthur grow helped towards that.

* * *

It hurts, when he is yanked back to the world of the living, encased in flesh once more. He can't scream or rage at Nimueh or Agravaine for doing this to him, though, because the pain just leaves him numb, a passive observer as his body bows to his brother.

He'd once thought the dead coming back to life would be the height of the blessings magic could give. Now, he thinks it is a cruelty to not let the dead rest. He can't object to his brother's decisions, not completely, and it grates.

His brother only has four servants, and the manor he has (they once shared it, oh so long ago) is cold and empty. It is wrong, oh so wrong, and Tristan wonders whatever happened to the woman Agravaine had been courting before Ygraine's death.

"You will pose as my manservant, for the time being." Agravaine decides. "I think before we put into action any plan, we must know the boundaries of this magic."

Tristan doesn't respond, just watches his brother with an odd sense of detachment. It as if Agravaine is the shade, not him.

Agravaine gives him leave to wander, get reacquainted with the place, but not to tell anyone he's his brother- Agravaine is still working on a disguise for him, and all Tristan knows is he will keep his first name.

The order gives Tristan some semblance of control over his body, it will end the moment his brother calls for him, but Tristan intends to see how much control he can assert on this mortal shell.

It's not much, as it turns out, but maybe it doesn't need to take much.

* * *

Finally, Agravaine calls him back to his study, where there is black armor and a shield with a crest of a white phoenix. He's to travel, cause trouble with those that support Uther, help those that do not, but do not directly attack Camelot and Uther just yet. He may fight the knights, but not kill Arthur or any of those that follow him.

It's only a semblance of will that he has in the face of orders, and Tristan wonders if Agravaine understands that, and is being careful in how he words the orders. The black armor was enchanted years ago, one of the few things that Tristan received in a quest to save his sister, and while he wears it, he will be safe from melee attacks- straight attacks may still pierce it, but he wouldn't be struck if he walked through a melee. The shield, on the other hand, protects him from mortal wounds as long as he physically carries it. Scratches and non-fatal gashes did not count.

He wonders how Agravaine hid this from Uther, but cannot ask. "As you command, Agravaine." Is all he can say, and Agravaine gives him a tight, sad smile.

It's not a real body, as much as he would like it, it is flesh and needs some care, he can still bleed, but he doesn't need rest like he used to. He eats, but it doesn't taste like anything, and he thinks that even something strong, like wine, should not taste like liquid air.

Tristan thinks this might drive him mad, being 'alive' like this after so long of being dead, and wonders if revenge would even be worth this.

Like all of his own true thoughts though, they can never be spoken, and only an echo is ever felt.

* * *

_MC: *shivers* God, this makes me feel bad for Lancelot, unable to do or feel anything except what Morganna told him too, brrr…_

**What can I say, that 'Thank you' at the end of 'Lancelot Du Lac' made me think the real Lancelot was there, aware and unable to do a thing while being a 'shade' in Morganna's thrall. He wasn't fully connected to the world of the living, despite being out of the world of the dead, and well, yeah … Plotbunny for anyone else to adopt? MC won't do it, and I have other things to do right now.**


	21. Raven's Revenge I

**Part one of two, I think.**

**Raven's Revenge I**

The raven swoops down, and lands on a painfully still Arthur, blood coming through his chainmail. Knights lie around him, Camelot is in ruins, and there are black feathers in the corner of her eyes.

Morganna woke up with a cry. "The Raven! Arthur! The Raven!" Gwen held her, trying to reassure her she was alright it was just a dream, and Morganna could only think of how the last time she dreamt of Arthur's death, it had almost happened.

Neither woman paid attention to the noise coming from the castle depths.

* * *

In his cave, Kilgharrah groaned, trying to curl up so his wings muffled the sound. Uther would be a wonderful snack, he decided. Forget the promise he made Balinor and Ygraine about eating humans, it would be wonderful to get some sort of revenge for all the King had put him through.

"What is he trying to do, ruin the castle's foundations?" Kilgharrah asked the air. His own cavern(s) were actually just behind the castle, and not directly under it. Merlin was still blocking him (Arthur had assured him his last visit that Merlin was finally starting to come around. Apparently, Merlin's attachment to his mother was greater than most other human hatchlings.) so he couldn't yell for Merlin to stop the noise.

A feeling of amusement made him pause. Ah, he'd reached Merlin after all. "Get them to stop!" Merlin didn't completely block him, this time, but he got the feeling he was taking his own time to do it.

Kilgharrah felt something cold and dark brush him, and he shivered. Wonderful, Uther had unleashed something one of his forebears locked away. Clearly, the man had forgotten everything Nimueh, Balinor and Kilgharrah had warned him about taking this place as his castle, seat of his ancestors or no.

On the upside, this meant Merlin would be coming to see him soon.

* * *

Arthur groaned, finally having had enough. King's orders or no, he was going to request the workers stop working at night. His knights were suffering in their training for this, and only the King's chambers were so well insulated that the noise didn't reach him. (Arthur suspected some sort of magic, to be honest or Uther had something stuffed in his ears.)

Getting dressed, he all but stumbled out the door, the guards giving him a nod as he strode down the hall.

Merlin was standing in front of the entrance to the workings. "Finally had enough?" Arthur guessed, taking another torch.

"The noise has been bothering Kilgharrah." Merlin muttered. "I couldn't block him, the noise isn't helping me, either, and he demanded I go stop them."

"Well, let's see if they'll knock it off for the night, then, by order of a prince." Arthur sighed.

They didn't have to say anything it turned out, the workers scrambled out of there as if they'd stumbled on the gates of hell. Or seen one of their comrades die suddenly, Arthur mentally amended, finding the corpse of one of the workers in a tomb filled with gold.

"Crossbow bolt, but that doesn't turn one colors." Merlin muttered, frowning.

"Where on earth is the crossbow?" Arthur looked around. Most of it was in darkness, but the torches just illuminated a raven statue to the side.

"We should get Gaius."

"And notify the King." Arthur added. "I'll stand guard, you better go." Merlin nodded, and both carefully backed away from the body and the treasure. Arthur took up a guard outside the tomb, while Merlin ran to notify the two.

Gaius was slightly less helpful in the cause of death than Merlin, save that he found it, prompting Merlin to use a plate to block the bolt that fired from the Raven's mouth. Arthur's attempt to help was cut short at the voice of the king and two guards. He quickly turned to greet the king, and winced as Uther called Merlin an idiot when all he saw was Merlin scrambling to catch a rolling plate.

"Are you naturally that clumsy or do you have to work at it?" Arthur asked, only half joking.

"It's just one of my many gifts."

Arthur rolled his eyes at Merlin's comeback. Why was this man his best friend again?

"What killed him?" Uther noticed the body on the floor.

"He seems to have triggered a trap here. They may be more." Gaius warned.

"Well, Gaius, I was right. Which one of my predecessors do I have to thank for all this?" Uther bent over the casket, while Merlin and Arthur watched from a safer distance. "Gaius?"

"I'll have to look into it, Sire." Gaius found a box with a sigil ring.

"Well, in the meantime, we'll have a door fitted with only one key. Arthur, you will be in charge of it." Uther declared.

"Yes, sire." Arthur nodded, not really looking forward to this new assignment.

* * *

Merlin didn't see Arthur for the next few days, when he finally did get called to join a hunt; Arthur looked on the verge of killing something other than a boar.

"Merlin, my new manservant, Cedric; Cedric, this is the Physician's apprentice, Merlin." Was the rather brusque introduction to the man carrying Arthur's gear.

It took Merlin a few minutes to realize why Arthur looked so annoyed. Cedric was a bootlicker. The only reason Arthur hadn't gotten rid of him yet was because he was fairly good at his job.

"Why'd you need a manservant anyway?" Merlin asked the rare time Cedric wasn't hovering by Arthur's side, having been told to get firewood while they set up camp.

"Apparently, it's something I'm supposed to have." Arthur muttered. "I know Cedric's a bootlicker and most likely after something, but he's good enough for now."

Merlin found himself annoyed by Cedric very quickly. Heaven and Earth, that man was able to hit all the wrong strings like a fake bard pretending to know a 'foreign' instrument. Arthur just clapped his shoulder when he noticed that Merlin was scowling at Cedric.

* * *

Morganna paced in her room, unsure whether or not she should go to Arthur and tell him about her dream. While Kay had assured her that her speaking out hadn't caused Arthur's near death, she couldn't help but think she should have stayed silent. Gaius didn't help, even though she had only told him about the raven swooping towards her, not the bodies she'd seen, the fact he just seemed to brush off her concerns did not help.

She needed to tell someone. As she was turning to face her screen, a name came to her. Merlin. Merlin had believed her, and had done everything possible to save Arthur.

The problem was, he'd no doubt go to Gaius, who'd come and scold her for making a big deal out of nothing, she realized as she turned away from the screen. Maybe if she begged him not to tell Gaius? Morganna let out a breath, finally stopping her pacing when she almost tripped on the hem of her gown.

Too risky, she reluctantly decided, Merlin was related to Gaius. Which just left Arthur, when he returned. The only reason she couldn't tell Kay or Bedivere, was a very small issue of Kay being over protective, and he'd probably follow Arthur everywhere, which would attract the notice of anyone with a mind, however dim. Maybe if she made Arthur swear not to give up?

"My lady, are you alright?" Of course, Gwen would return just as she threw herself onto her bed in frustration.

"No, Gwen, I'm not, parts of my nightmares come true and I might be going insane. Of course, I can't say that out loud." Morganna paused, and lifted her head to look at Gwen, who looked torn between concern and slight bemusement. "I just said that out loud, didn't I?"

"Is this about Arthur and the questing beast?" Gwen set down the tray of fruit and sat down beside her. "Sir Kay mentioned you thought it was your fault."

"It was, Gwen, I saw Arthur with the exact same injury, lying in the exact same room, and when I told him, I saw him believe what I said, he practically said farewell." Morganna stared at her pillow. It was comfortable, Uther had insisted on that so maybe she could sleep easier, but she was starting to associate it with her nightmares.

"Last night, you dreamed again about Arthur dying?" Gwen asked, one hand gently rubbing her back. "You called to Arthur in warning about a raven."

"The raven landed on him, he was surrounded by knights and rubble, and he wasn't moving. There was something else in the corners of my vision, but I woke before I saw it." Morganna sat up. "Gwen, you can't tell Gaius, he doesn't listen to me, he tells me they're just dreams, but I know there is something more to them."

"I won't, Morganna." Gwen promised, hugging her.

Morganna relaxed. Why hadn't she thought of telling Gwen earlier?

"If you'll forgive my forwardness, my mother used to keep a diary where she'd write bits of her dreams she found important. My grandmother believed angels sometimes left messages in our dreams."

"Did your mother ask you to do it?"

"No, her diary turned into a place to teach me to read and write." Gwen admitted, and flushed.

"I knew you were reading that book!" Morganna grinned. It might not be considered proper by some lords for servants to know how to read and write, but Morganna had never cared about such a stupid rule. She'd suspected Gwen could read, though the other had denied it when there was anyone else around. "I won't tell. I think I might try that, maybe then, I'll know for sure if they really do happen."

Gwen nodded, and helped Morganna straighten herself out when she stood up.

It was after Gwen left that Morganna realized she should still talk to Arthur.

* * *

Gaius sighed to himself as he settled back down with his books. Uther had dismissed his claims about Sigan. It was dangerous, they didn't know if any item was enchanted, and well, he'd hoped Uther would remember the last time he'd disturbed the grave a reputed sorcerer. The enchanted ring was still in the vault.

The best he could do now was warn Merlin, and Arthur, about the risk. Having the two all but dive through his door was a bit of a surprise, especially as Arthur was holding a tapestry waded up in his arms.

"Gaius." Arthur nodded, leaning against the door in a way that implied blocking it instead of trying to be casual.

"My lord, is there a problem?"

"No, not really." Arthur's glance at the door he was leaning against was proof enough he was lying.

"Arthur's new manservant is a toady." Merlin offered when Gaius looked at him. This would have been believable, if Merlin hadn't been hiding one hand behind his back.

"What did you do this time?" Gaius looked at both, amused as they promptly caved.

"I, uh, tried to relight a candle." Merlin muttered.

"And?" Gaius asked, and frowned when Merlin revealed a singed sleeve.

"He set himself and a tapestry on fire. He wasn't- he was doing it normally," Arthur corrected himself with a glance at the door, "with a taper, and set it and himself on fire." Arthur sighed. "We might have damaged the tapestry, trying to put them both out, and I really don't want to have to face my father about it right now."

Gaius would normally have lectured them both on responsibility, but honestly, he found the predicament rather amusing and they were both quite young still. "Alright, I won't tell, let's patch you two up; I have something to tell you."

"So, the jewel can't be removed from the crypt." Arthur studied the writing. "Is there anything else that we shouldn't touch? Obviously the raven statue is one."

"That might have been placed there to keep someone from taking the heart." Gaius corrected.

"… My father had it disabled when he put the door up, didn't he?"

"Uther just blocked off the stone that activated it." Gaius watched as Arthur and Merlin shared an annoyed look. "He will not have it re-sealed."

"And I've got the only key." Arthur sighed, rubbing his eyes with a hand. "I'm going to ask, is there a way to make it so only I or my father can touch the key?"

"I'd have to look it up." Merlin also sighed. "You better keep it safe."

"Tell me something I don't know." Arthur stood up. "Unfortunately, I've experienced how even the most vigilant sentry can be distracted, which is why I'd like you to find a fail-safe."

"If Sigan does rise again, he will destroy Camelot." Gaius frowned, not liking the way the two were narrowing it down to just trying to stop Sigan's resurrection.

"I'm planning under the assumption that we can't allow the king to know about any of this." Arthur looked at Gaius in annoyance. "First we need plans to keep anyone from entering the tomb, and then we start on contingencies. Until we get the fail-safe for the key, I'm going to order double the guard. I know two who we can trust with the knowledge that there is one thing that can't ever be touched in the tomb."

Gaius nodded, contrite, as Arthur excused himself and left.

"What was that about?" Merlin asked, and Gaius sighed.

"I don't want Arthur relying on your magic for everything." Gaius admitted, and received an incredulous look from Merlin.

"_Arthur_ won't let _me_ rely on my magic for everything. He made me promise not to light or extinguish candles and campfires with it unless it's an emergency. I have to spar with him so he's convinced I can block a sword with another sword and not get myself impaled." Merlin added the last sentence with the indignity of someone suffering a long grievance.

"The tapestry?" Gaius asked, gesturing to the waded up ball of fabric.

"Going to ask Gwen if she knows how to repair it, actually." Merlin winced. "Last time I tried to repair something that was burned, I just set it on fire again …"

"That's what happened to the table?"

"… Maybe?" Merlin's expression was one of a child caught with a forbidden sweetmeat.

"You better start on that fail-safe." Gaius sighed. He'd learned that sometimes, one really didn't want to know.

* * *

It hadn't been too hard, getting the job as the prince's manservant. A bit of honey always got more flies than anything else one could use, his dear mother had always claimed, and it had been easy to assure he was the right man for the job.

Unfortunately, the prince wasn't an empty headed noble, or someone he could flatter easily. Didn't really matter, keeping him at an arm's length was just as beneficial as allowing Cedric to follow him everywhere, but Cedric somewhat respected the way the Prince was just as wary of people as he himself was, and that he didn't make such pathetic demands for someone to dress and bathe him. (Though, the last noble he'd done that for had never even noticed he'd lost bits of jewelry, so that wasn't the worst thing he could be asked to do.)

However, he didn't want to empty out chamber pots and bow and scrape for life, and it was easy enough to figure out which key was the one to the tomb. (Not nearly as many dings and scrapes on it as the others, it had been made recently and used so rarely.)

The problem was the prince tended to wake up if he heard Cedric re-enter the room.

That was easily fixed with an old sleep remedy he'd learned from his mother, practically tasteless (unless in water or tea, then it left a bitter aftertaste) and wouldn't force the person to sleep, just make it easier to fall asleep and keep them under longer.

The prince didn't suspect him of that, oddly enough, then again, he might have guessed that Cedric wouldn't poison him because he needed him alive for a bit longer.

There were extra guards, but he had enough of the special herbs that his mother had once suggested burning for sleep, before discovering that too much made the person unable to wake up even if they were being burned.

Cedric smirked as the guards collapsed from the smoke. It was fast acting, and even a small whiff of it made one extremely dizzy.

So much gold, he'd take what he could carry, hide the satchel, return the key, and disappear before anyone ever noticed.

He forgot about that plan when his eyes landed on the beautiful crystal, an ethereal blue color that seemed to glow, on the crypt itself. That was surely worth more than anything he had stolen before, and it was so easy to pry it from its setting.

* * *

He'd felt it, when the trap meant to discourage anyone from accidentally reviving him was triggered. For so long, he had existed in darkness, half slumbering, half aware of his confinement. He'd known that soon, someone would break the crystal free, regardless of the trap and warning.

He hadn't quite expected it to be so soon. His new host had no defense, for all his perceived cleverness, it wasn't hard to convince this Cedric that letting him have control of his body (for now, of course) would not be a bad thing for him. (It was best, he'd figured out, to let them believe to have some will in the beginning. The only hosts that could fight back were priestesses or dragonlords, and that had been a mistake he wouldn't make again.)

No magic, though. Cedric wouldn't survive possession long if he used magic, as it was, a mortal body could barely survive having more than one soul for too long; using magic in a body that was not capable of the magic he could wield would just burn it out faster. And the other drawback was that he had to wait until the next time the moon reached the middle of the sky to take a new host after taking one, but that was a small price for his immortality, and given some time, he'd figure out how to fix that small drawback, he'd almost had it figured out before.

Sigan smiled. It was time to take stock of this new era for himself. He'd look for some other potential hosts while he was at it. Oh, and return the key to the Prince Cedric served. Wouldn't do to have their suspicions raised too soon.

The Prince … now, there was a thought.

* * *

**Added some drawbacks to Sigan's ability to possess people, mostly because, well, you'll see.**

**Guinevere's ability to read and write- the average person of this time period might be able to recognize one or two words, but wouldn't be able to tell you the alphabet. Storytelling was done orally or by bards who memorized ballads to sing/recite, but their repertoire was in their head, never written down. Servants weren't supposed to be able to read very well or at all, in fact, they (like many other commoners) might get mocked for being uppity or trying to overreach their station just by admitting to 'knowing their letters'. The ones who were accepted and expected to be able to read and write were: Monks and Scholars (who were often just the lay version of monks, or monks that left the cloister), Priests, Nobles, and of course, Kings. Hopefully. Sometimes they ignored their lessons, and so only pretended to know what they were reading. **

**Please note, of the groups capable of reading, they're all predominately male. Women were not really encouraged to learn how to read or write (think Disney's Belle), instead embroidery and home management were encouraged instead; in fact, a woman too intelligent was, on average, feared by men and might have been accused of witchcraft for knowing more than she was supposed to- especially if it was more than the local know-it-all man (usually the priest or mayor) did, and she wasn't well liked by others.**

**That said, some noble women did learn, if only to 'read poetry' (more likely, they had some minstrel sing it while they embroidered) and Morganna and Guinevere strike me as independent enough to learn. Guinevere's mother, as a maid, might have learned from one of her more independent ladies, and Guinevere might have learned even more from Leon and just general eaves-dropping on other's lessons.**

_MC: Again with historical trivia, though this time, she assures me there's no point, just explaining away what she thought was a plot hole on the writers' part. To Quote her: 'uh, how's Gwen supposed to rule a kingdom if she can't read? I can see it now, men telling her documents say one thing, and she can't read it for herself!' I had to point out its television and she just gave me a disgusted look that she gives when she thinks I've missed a point. I think this was one of the things that she thought could have been used for character development._

_Oh, this is why she sent Lancelot to Lord Ban for education. Commoners wouldn't be able to read. (Duh.) _

_SV you can stop looking so smug!_

**Uh, let me think- nope! (And you can't hide my ice cream, cause I ate it all, hah!)**


	22. Raven's Revenge II

_MC: … Why on earth did I ever introduce her to Merlin?_

_To Anthi35 and Catherine10: I've been busy with things, don't blame SV for the fact updates stalled- and that is all you two need to know._

**SV: Thanks to all those who suggested ideas, I've been doing research on them while MC was on vacation.**

**Raven's Revenge II**

Alexander groaned as he came around, the door was wide open, and his stomach lurched as he forced himself up. That was the last time he ever agreed to split up with Dinadan. He stumbled to his feet, faintly aware the other guards were starting to stir and stumbled to the exit. His attempt to yell ended in a croak, so he just slung his helmet into a wall to make a noise, before slumping against the wall. Someone shouted an alarm, either hearing the noise or seeing him slump.

His head was clearing, closer to fresh air, but he thought he might have dozed off, because Arthur appeared above him next to Gaius for a moment, forcing him to drink water.

Alexander was embarrassed. Arthur had trained him, was someone he looked up to, and had been more than willing to go along with anything the other had asked, even technical treason. Even after the reveal that he was the prince, Arthur acted as if nothing had changed between them. He'd only told Dinadan and himself about the dangerous artifact, entrusting that they would be able to guard it.

But the instant Alexander had smelled the smoke, he'd become disoriented, and it had been too late for him to hold his breath.

"Not your fault, Alexander." Arthur assured him as he made his report, with one or two apologies for failing mixed in. "Don't blame yourself, you did well."

Alexander wasn't sure he believed him.

* * *

Merlin wondered if Arthur should be touching the setting where the crystal had been held. "Whoever did this can't have gotten far, we sounded the alarm the moment the guards were discovered unconscious." Athur stepped back a rubbed at his eyes. He seemed tired.

"But there's no telling how long the guards were asleep." Merlin pointed out. "And it took time for someone to get you to wake and get down here."

"Looks like someone got more than they bargained for." Gaius gave Arthur the crystal.

"I don't know how they got in, spells to open doors tend to damage them." Merlin added.

"They must've had a key."

"Which they would have had to get from my chambers, it was in a drawer right next to my bed, and it was there when I was woken up." Arthur frowned, and rubbed his eyes again. Merlin looked at Arthur, studying him.

"You're a light sleeper when you're stressed." Merlin got an unimpressed look from Gaius and Arthur. "Stating a fact, you can ask Kay. You would have woken up if someone had entered your room. You said you had trouble waking up, and you're still tired."

"I don't recall smelling smoke, and those herbs did leave a scent." He gestured to where the remains of the burnt herbs had been gathered. Of course the statement was ruined by Arthur's yawn.

"Someone might have drugged you, taken the key, and then returned it."

"How? The only one with access is his manservant." Gaius pointed out.

"Who appeared after the tomb was found." Merlin crossed his arms. "And who goes out of his way to stay in Arthur's good graces."

"I'd rather not accuse anyone without more evidence, especially with the possibility of execution." Arthur rubbed his eyes before sighing. "I must report this to the King, Sir Kay and Sir Bedivere will come down to help guard the tomb in case Sigan returns to it."

Merlin hesitated only briefly before following Arthur, not quite trusting that the prince was as alright as he appeared.

Uther, as expected, was displeased that someone had broken in to the tomb. However, he was not interested in the possibility that the one who had done so was now possessed by the spirit of Sigan.

* * *

Guinevere walked toward her house, planning on changing and doing some chores before returning to the Castle and Morganna, who had managed to sleep through the night before.

She was not expecting the person waiting outside, however. "Elyan, what are you doing here?"

Her brother shifted guiltly, putting down a bag she knew contained his tools.

"I heard about Dad … I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner." He apologized, awkwardly holding his arms out. "I'm here to help, if you'll have me."

There were so many things she could say, so many things she felt- anger, sorrow, joy- at the offer her brother gave her.

So she just stepped into his embrace instead, holding him tightly.

"Gwen?" He asked, even as he tightened his hug in response.

"I'd like you to stay." They would discuss everything else later- preferably tomorrow- but for now, Guinevere had her brother back. (Even though his hug was nothing like Arthur's.)

Elyan relaxed at that, glad to have the chance for them to be siblings again, even though their father was no longer there to see it.

* * *

Morganna made sure to wait until Arthur's manservant was nowhere near his chambers before she slipped in.

"Morganna, is there something you need?"

"I needed to speak with you." Morganna took a deep breath. "You remember, before you went after the questing beast, I had that nightmare that you were injured by it and it came true, every detail of it." Arthur nodded, leaning against his desk. "The other night … I … I had another dream, a raven … a raven perched on your body, and Camelot was in ruins."

"You believe it will come true as well?"

"I don't think my nightmares are just nightmares, they're always so vivid and …" Morganna shook her head. "I'm terrified what that means, but I don't want to lose you because you're like my brother, so if they're real, if telling you about them can help in anyway …"

"Morganna," Arthur stood up and quickly took both her hands in his, "thank you. I know this was difficult for you to tell me. You can always come to me, and I'll listen. Maybe not well occasionally, but I'll always listen."

"Gaius won't, he keeps telling me they're just dreams."

"Gaius is the type to keep secrets until he thinks you need to know them, remember how he wouldn't tell us what herbs he used to make that bruise balm?"

Morganna smiled wryly, remembering that. "Because one of them was poisonous if not picked correctly."

"Right." Arthur paused, considering something. "After dinner, meet me in the armory, I think I know someone who can help interpret what are nightmares and what are not."

"Who?" Morganna looked at him hopefully, the idea that someone could help her, really help her, was almost too wonderful to be true. "Tell me!"

"And have you run off without me?" Arthur teased, releasing her hands. "I'll tell you tonight, I promise. Right now, though, I have to hunt down whoever broke into that tomb, Uther's expecting a report before the midday meal."

Morganna was disappointed, but she understood. If there was something dangerous about her nightmares, then the person was probably someone that Arthur was normally turning a blind eye to in order to keep them safe from Uther. "I'm going to try and take a nap, I'm afraid my sleep wasn't as restful as I would have liked it to be."

"I will see you later." Arthur nodded, and Morganna left just as Arthur's manservant, followed by Merlin, arrived.

Of course, neither had any idea just how dangerous Morganna's dream really was, or they would have gone right then regardless of consequences.

**To be continued in Raven's Revenge Part III.**


End file.
